Video game with replaceable tiles having selectable physics

ABSTRACT

A computer device has user interface configured to display user actuatable game elements and to detect user input when a user engages with a game element; and a processor configured to receive a detected user input and on detecting a match game condition to control the user interface to remove at least three game elements from the display and to provide on the user interface replacement user actuatable game elements, wherein the manner of providing each replacement game element has a graphical representation governed by a tile associated with each game element, wherein each tile has a selectable physics which controls at least one of (i) the direction in which it moves to replenish a vacancy left by the removed user game elements; and (ii) the speed at which it moves to replenish the vacancy.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.14/183,997, filed Feb. 19, 2014, which is a continuation-in part of U.S.application Ser. No. 14/029,261, filed Sep. 17, 2013; and acontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/029,538, filed Sep.17, 2013, and is based on, and claims priority to GB Application No.1302910.3, filed Feb. 19, 2013; GB Application No. 1311119.0, filed Jun.21, 2013; GB Application No. 1318416.3, filed Oct. 17, 2013; and GBApplication No. 1401717.2, filed Jan. 31, 2014, the entire content ofeach of which is fully incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to controlling a user interface responsiveto user engagement with displayed elements on the interface of acomputer device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of computer-implemented games, there are many technicalchallenges facing the designer of such games when considering how theuser interface is to be controlled in the context of computer devicesavailable to play the game.

One technical challenge can involve allowing a game to be fun andcompelling even when there is limited display resource available, suchas when a game is being played on a smartphone, tablet or otherminicomputer. Another significant challenge is that of user engagement.Engagement involves designing gameplay to be engaging and rewarding toplayers. This typically requires games to be easily understood at theirsimplest or introductory levels, providing rewarding gameplay with quitesimple game mechanics, but becoming progressively more challenging sothat players are not bored, but remain engaged and develop rewardingskills. Effective engagement requires various forms of feedback toreinforce player sense of success and accomplishment.

An existing type of match-three game is a so-called “switcher” game. Amatch-three game is a type of casual puzzle game where the player isrequired to find patterns on a seemingly chaotic board. The player thenhas to match three or more of the same type of game element on the gameboard and those matched elements will then disappear. In a switchergame, the player switches place onto adjacent game elements on the gameboard so that one or both of them create a chain of at least threeadjacent game elements of the same type. Those matched game elementswill then disappear. The game board is then repopulated with gameobjects.

One such known match three-type game is known by the trade name CandyCrush. In that game, the game board is repopulated with game elementswhich are perceived as falling downwards onto the game board from thetop edge of the screen from which the game is played.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the present invention provide improved methods of controllinga user interface in the context of a computer-implemented game of thematch three game-type. They provide a solution to the technical problemof user engagement with a limited screen resource and/or improve userengagement.

One aspect of the present invention provides a computer device having auser interface configured to display user actuatable game elements andto detect user input when a user engages with a game element a processorconfigured to receive a detected user input and on detecting a matchgame condition to control the user interface to remove at least threegame elements from the display and to provide on the user interfacereplacement user actuatable game elements, wherein the manner ofproviding each replacement game element has a graphical representationgoverned by a tile associated with each game element, wherein each tilehas a selectable physics which controls at least one of (i) thedirection in which it moves to replenish a vacancy left by the removeduser game elements; and (ii) the speed at which it moves to replenishthe vacancy.

In one embodiment of the game, the processor is configured to select thephysics for each tile based on user input at the user interface.

The user input can be a deliberately generated user input to alter thephysics of tiles which would then govern how game elements are replaced.Alternatively, the user input can form part of the game play asdiscussed more fully in the following.

In the following described embodiments, the physics of the tile which isadjusted as the direction in which a replacement tiles moves. However,the speed at which a tile moves can also be adjusted, either bydeliberate user input or by player involvement in the game. Thus, a tilecan be replenished at various speeds depending on how a player hasplayed the game. This is, the game element could arrive extremelyquickly, or could arrive more slowly associated with visual animationsof its arrival.

The processor may be configured to select physics for each tile based onthe location on the display at which the at least three game elementsare removed. That is, part of the displayed game board is replenishedwith game elements according to one physics, and another part would bereplenished with game elements of another physics.

The computer device can comprise a graphics controller which isconnected to receive information for the processor defining thegraphical representation and to supply the graphical representation tothe user interface in the form of a video sequence based on the physicsof the tile. For example, the game element can be perceived as fallingdownwards or moving upwards.

The user interface can be configured to display each tile with a visualindication of its selected physics, such as colour.

The user interface can be configured to display a separator betweentiles of a first physics and tiles of a second physics. In this case,the displayed part of the game board may be shown in two coloursrepresenting two different physics. In the described embodiment, thetiles of the first physics move in a direction replenish a vacancydownwards from an upper portion of the screen, and tiles of the secondphysics move in the direction to replenish a vacancy upwards from alower portion of the screen. The lower part of the screen is purplereferred to herein as “lemonade”. It could be termed water or soda orany fluid name. More generically, any highlighting nomenclature could beutilised. In the lemonade, the tiles move upwards. The selectablephysics controls a direction in any orientation of the Cartesian orpolar axes for replenishment of tiles from an outer portion of a gameboard to an inner portion of a game board. In one game mechanic, theuser interface is configured to display a balloon game element whichalters the physics of a set of displayed tiles when a match gamecondition of game elements associated with the balloon element isdetected. The balloon element does not need to take the form of aballoon—any container type icon would be suitable, such as a bottle. Theballoon “bursts” and causes more game elements to have the “lemonade”physics. Game elements are associated with the balloon element by virtueof having a matching colour with the balloon element. If a match forexample, of red game elements is detected, a red balloon will “burst”,increasing the level of the “lemonade”: the separator will rise one ormore rows up the displayed parts of the game board. The tiles arearranged in rows and columns in one version of the game. The separatorextends laterally across the game board between two rows of lines.

In a grid-type arrangement, the set of tiles whose physics is altered bythe balloon game element is a row of tiles. Any other kind of set couldbe chosen, e.g. three rows, top to bottom, one column etc.

To visually demonstrate different physics to a user, the user interfacecan be controlled by the processor to sequentially apply a visual effectto sets of tiles, thereby indicating physics of the tiles. The visualeffect can be a highlighting or shimmer effect, wherein game elementsare temporarily enlarged and/or brightened.

In a grid arrangement, the visual effect is sequentially applied toadjacent rows. To distinguish different game physics, the visual effectis applied in a first direction in a set of rows above the separator andnot in a set of rows below the separator.

In one version of the game, the number of replacement game elements isthe same as the number of game elements in the match condition. However,the number could be different—the location of a spawner can be set toreplenish vacancies according to selected tile physics.

In a particularly distinctive optional feature, a game board of the gameelements is generated by the processor, but only a portion of the gameboard is displayed to a user, with subsequent portions of the game boardbeing displayed as a result of a scrolling action displayed on the userinterface.

Another aspect of the invention provides user interface responsive touser engagement with displayed game elements on the interface, themethod comprising the following steps implemented by a processor of acomputer device; detecting a match game condition of at least three gameelements responsive to user input; generating replacement game elementsto be displayed, each game element associated with a tile; selecting aphysics for each tile; controlling a graphical representation on theuser interface of replacing the game element based on the selected tilephysics, wherein the tile physics controls at least one of (i) thedirection in which it moves to replenish the vacancy left by the removedgame elements; and (ii) the speed at which it moves to replenish thevacancy.

In a grid-type arrangement, the user interface displays a game board ofgame elements in rows, and wherein there is a visual indication of thetile physics associated with each tile in a row. All tiles in the samerow have the same physics. Where a separator is displayed on the userinterface between adjacent rows of differing tile physics, the locationof the separator on the game board can be adjusted by user input whichcauses the “balloon” elements to be actuated thereby increasing thenumber of tiles below the separator.

In one game mechanic, a game character is displayed on a tile having afirst kind of physics, and movement of that character over the gameboard is affected by the tile physics of the set of tiles surroundingthe game character. For example, the character moves up in the“lemonade” as game elements above him are removed. A target row isidentified on the display (for example, with visual targets such asrubber rings) and one game objective is to cause the game character tomove up to the target row.

Where the full game board is not displayed on the user interface, aportion of the game board is displayed on the user interface, thedisplayed portion varying as a result of a scrolling action to displaydifferent portions of the game board on the display.

When a first portion of the game board is displayed on the display thetarget row is not visible to a player, and wherein when a second portionof the game board is displayed on the display as a result of saidscrolling action, the target row comes into view of the player.

Another aspect of the invention provides a computer device having: auser interface configured to generate a game board having game elementsfor display for engagement by a user; and a processor configured tocontrol the user interface responsive to user engagement with the gameelement to remove from the display game elements on detection of a matchgame condition and to provide replacement game elements on the display,wherein a portion of the game board is displayed, including thereplacement game elements, said portion being controlled to change by ascrolling action whereby enabling portion of the game board is newlydisplayed and a previously displayed portion of the game board isremoved from the display.

Another aspect provides a method of controlling a user interface in acomputer device to show a portion of a match three game board and toscroll the game board to show different portions responsive to userinput at the user interface to detect and activate matched gameelements.

Another embodiment provides a computer device having: a user interfaceconfigured to display user game elements and to detect user input when auser engages with a game element; and a processor configured to receivea detected user input and on detecting a game condition to control theuser interface to provide a graphical representation of one or more gameelements, wherein movement of one or more game elements is controlled bya selectable physics which controls the direction in which it moves.

Another embodiment provides a computer implemented method of controllinga user interface responsive to user engagement with displayed gameelements on the interface, the method comprising the following stepsimplemented by a processor of a computer device;

detecting a game condition responsive to user input;

generating game elements to be displayed;

selecting a physics; and

controlling a graphical representation on the user interface of one ormore game elements, wherein movement of one or more game elements iscontrolled by said selectable physics which controls the direction inwhich it moves.

A further aspect provides computer program products for implementing theafore-defined methods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how thesame may be carried into effect, reference will now be made by way ofexample to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a game board of an existing version ofa match three game;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating how a game board isrepopulated with replacement game elements;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart indicating the operation of the replacement ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a scrolling-type game board with visualindication of different tile physics;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating actuation of a balloon element;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of the successful completion of a game levelwherein a character reaches a target row;

FIGS. 8 a and 8 b illustrate operation of a scrolling game board;

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a method of controlling an interfacefor the scrolling game board;

FIGS. 10 a, 10 b, 10 c and 11 are diagrams illustrating operation of amanually operated sidekick;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are diagrams illustrating operation of a novel gameelement;

FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate a novel game mechanic of swapping amulti-coloured booster with a wrapped game element;

FIG. 16 a is a diagrammatic representation of tiles with differentphysics (up and down);

FIG. 16 b is a diagrammatic representation of tiles with differentphysics (sideways);

FIG. 16 c illustrates a data structure for managing the file physics;

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a computer device;

FIG. 18 is a schematic architecture diagram of a context in which acomputer device can be utilised to play the game;

FIG. 19 shows different match possibilities; and

FIGS. 20 and 21 show replacement tiles with sideways physics;

FIG. 22 shows a novel feature objective with chocolate blockers;

FIG. 23 shows an implementation of a novel game mode;

FIG. 24 shows one implementation of a novel game mode;

FIG. 25 shows one implementation of a novel game mode;

FIG. 26 shows an alternative implementation of the flow of falling gameelements; and

FIG. 27 shows an alternative implementation of the flow of falling gameelements.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The terms user and player are used interchangeably throughout thisdocument and no specific meaning is intended using one or the otherunless the context suggests otherwise.

In the following description of various implementations of theinvention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form apart thereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration variousimplementations in which the invention may be utilized. It is to beunderstood that other implementations may be utilized, and structuraland functional modifications may be made without departing from thescope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a display of a known version of a match 3 switches gamecalled Candy Crush Saga™. FIG. 1 illustrates a game board 2 with aplurality of game elements 20. The game elements are each of sixdifferent shapes and colours. Each game element is supported by a tile22. The tiles are not readily visible to a player of the game—the gameelements are the main focus for a player. However, the tiles governcharacteristics of the game elements which are visible to a player aswill be described in more detail later.

In the known version of the match 3 switcher game, the aim of the gameis to swap game elements in the shape of candies with each other to makemoves on the game board. To gain points the player has to make movesthat create matches of at least three of the same candy. In doing so,the player gains points and the matched candies are removed. As a resultnew candies fall into place from the top of the game board in order tofill any spaces created. Assume in FIG. 1 that game element 20 c ismoved one place to the right to form a three-line match with gameelements 20 a and 20 b. Turning now to FIG. 2, this has the effect ofgame board elements 20 a, 20 b and 20 c “disappearing”, creating avisual effect (animation) on the screen to indicate the disappearance,such as a minimal explosion effect denoted 24 in FIG. 2. The two gameelements which were directly above game elements 20 a will now falldownwards into the spaces created by the removal of game elements 20 a,20 b and 20 c. Thus, game element 20 e will end up at the location oftile 22 c, and game element 20 d will end up at the location of tile 22b. In addition, three new tiles with game elements are “created” andfall downwards into the game board to fill the remaining three spacesabove tile 22 b. The game elements on the newly created tiles which falldownwards into the game board are generated at random. The user then hasa new game board on which to play a subsequent move. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process implemented by software in a processor forexecuting the basic game mechanic just discussed. At step S1 the inputmade by a player on the screen is analysed. At step S2 the game rulesare applied to see whether or not at least a three-element match hasbeen created. If it has not, at step S3, the screen indicates an illegalmove to a user, and the player must try again. If a match has beendetected, at step S4 an appropriate visual effect is generated for thedisplay to denote the match and the disappearance of the game elementswhich have been matched. At step S5, new game elements are generated forthe display, these game elements falling downwards to fill up thedisplay from the top. The so-called physics of the tile on generation ofa new game board after each move is always the same in the existingversion of the game called Candy Crush. That is, tiles drop down fromabove the game board at a set speed.

Tile Physics

In an improved version of the game described herein, the physics of eachindividual tile can be altered based on the game play of a user, orbased on an instruction from the game software. Both the speed at whichthe tile can move, and the direction in which it can move can begoverned by play of the game. FIG. 4 illustrates a game board of oneembodiment of the present invention. The game board has two sectionswhich are divided by a dividing line 40. In the upper section, the gamemechanic is as just described with respect to FIG. 1. If a match ismade, the game elements are removed and replacement tiles withassociated game elements fall down from the top of the screen into thenew game board. However, if game elements are matched and thus removedfrom an area below the dividing line 40, then game elements arrive tocreate a new game board from below the screen in the direction of arrow42 in FIG. 4. Thus, the physics of the tile below the dividing line 40is such that there is an upward movement to complete the display, ratherthan a downward movement in the upper section. The physics of the tileis governed by the location of the tile vis-à-vis the dividing line 40.This dividing line is visible to a player as a result of having tilesabove the dividing line of one colour, and tiles below the dividing lineof another colour. The tiles below the dividing line form a continualbackground which is referred to in the game as “lemonade”. This is justa denotation of a continuous colour formed by the tiles below thedividing line 40. Game elements cannot fall into the “lemonade” fromabove the dividing line. The dividing line 40 represents a barrier togame elements moving further either upwards or downwards.

Game Character Release

Players can control the location of the dividing line 40 with respect tothe displayed area of the game board. That is, they can move thedividing line 40 upwards on the screen in accordance with a particulargame mechanic involving the bursting of balloon-shaped game elements.FIG. 5 illustrates this game mechanic. A balloon 50 has arrived on thegame board and is thus available for bursting. In order to burst theballoon, a match of game board elements of the same colour as theballoon needs to be formed. In this case, an L-shaped match of redelements is shown as having been made on the left-hand corner of thedisplay at 52. This match has been shown with a visual effect on thescreen, and these game elements will thus disappear. This is shown inFIG. 6 where the balloon 50 has now burst, the game elements of thematch 52 have disappeared and the level of the “lemonade” has now risen.Thus the dividing line 40 is now in a new location one row above itsearlier location in FIG. 5. The movement is denoted by arrow 43 in FIG.5. In this way, a player can influence the number of tiles which have analtered physics, in this case, the number of tiles which have a physicsto cause them to replenish the game board moving upwardly from below thescreen as opposed to downwardly from above the screen: see FIG. 16 a.

In an alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 16 b, 20 and 21, gameelements move in from the side to replace matched game elements. FIG. 20shows five game elements moving from the left-hand side as newreplacement elements.

FIG. 16 c illustrates a data structure for managing the tile physics,and schematically illustrates the interrelation between the datastructure 1603 and a rendering engine 1600 of the graphics controller180. The graphics controller 180 is illustrated in FIG. 17. The datastructure 1603 can be held in any suitable storage circuitry, such asillustrated by memory 174 in FIG. 17. The rendering engine 1600 drivesthe display on a user interface 1602 which receives the video outputfrom the graphics controller 180 illustrated in FIG. 17.

As mentioned, activity at the user interface 1602 can alter tilephysics. The data structure 1603 is responsible for managing howreplacement tiles are delivered to the user interface. Each tile has atile ID 1605. The tile ID 1605 can define the location on the userinterface where the tile is to be replenished, that is governed by thevacancy which has been released by gameplay. This allows the renderingengine 1600 to generate that tile at an appropriate location on the userinterface display 1602. Each tile ID 1605 is associated with tile data1607 which defines how the tile is to be displayed, that is what gameelement it has associated with it, and whether it has any “blockers” inaddition to or instead of a game element, or any foreground orbackground. Different alternatives for blockers, foreground andbackground are discussed later.

In addition to tile data, the tile physics 1609 is also stored inassociation with a tile identifier. The tile physics can be modified fora particular tile based on activity at the user interface 1602. Thus,after each gameplay, the tile identifier, which defines the location atwhich the tile is to be replenished, can have different tile physicsassociated with it, as modified by activity at the user interface 1602.The modified tile physics is stored in the data structure 1603 so thatat the next gameplay the appropriate tile physics is utilised toreplenish that particular tile when the vacancy arises.

As the level of the “lemonade” moves by virtue of activity at the userinterface, the tile physics associated with all tiles which are affectedby the movement of the level are altered in the data structure 1603.

In the embodiments described above, the physics of the tiles arepredetermined by the game software in dependence on the location of thetile on the screen (in particular as to whether or not it is in the“lemonade”). However, players can use boosters and/or sidekicks to alterthe physics of tiles in a more general way. For example, a sidekick canbe provided which when enabled changes the physics of some or all of thetiles. The tiles of whom the physics is changed can be preselected ordetermined by a user, or the result of game play.

In the embodiments described above, altering the physics of a tile canchange the speed or direction with which the game element can fillvacancies left by “matched” game elements. In an alternative embodiment,the physics of a tile could affect how game elements bounce off oneanother.

One game objective will now be discussed with reference to FIGS. 4 and7. FIG. 4 illustrates across the screen a row of rubber rings 44. Thereis also illustrated a teddy bear 46. The requirement to complete thislevel is to release the teddy bear 46 from its bubble. This can beachieved by raising the level 40 of the lemonade to the row whichcontains the rubber ring 44. The “reverse gravity” effect of the gametiles in the lemonade enables the player to bring the bear up to therubber rings. That is, if the bear was formerly below game elements, amatch of those game elements would cause them to disappear and the bear46 would thus move upwardly towards the rubber rings. In FIG. 4, it isshown in the row immediately below the rubber rings. In FIG. 7, it isshown in capture by the rubber rings 44 and thus being released from itsbubble. The transition between FIG. 4 and FIG. 7 has been achieved byswapping game element 20 f with element 20 g. FIG. 4 shows the gameboard42 immediately after the player has provided the input to produce thisswap. The game element 20 f is moving to occupy the position above thelevel 40 where a row of three green elements will be formed. One of thegreen elements of this row 20 h is a balloon, the matching of which willlead to a rise in the level 40. FIG. 7 shows the gameboard 42 after thelevel rise has occurred. The bear has risen up the gameboard toencounter the rubber rings and be removed from the gameboard. A recordof the removal of the bear is made at bear icon on the left-hand side ofthe screen 48. This icon 48 denotes that there may be more than one bearavailable to a player on any particular game board.

The game software is programmed to visually indicate to a player thephysics of the tile by a shimmering or “Mexican wave” effect. Highlightcould involve briefly enlarging or brightening game elements in the row.That is, the rows of the tiles above the dividing line 40 are eachhighlighted in sequence, so as to illustrate that game elements falldownwardly to the dividing line. Conversely, rows of game elements belowthe dividing line are briefly highlighted in a reverse sequenceindicating that game elements arrive upwardly below the dividing line.Alternatively, no highlighting can take place in the lemonade.

Scrolling Game Board

Another aspect of the present invention pertains to the manner in whichthe game elements are displayed as a game board. In the known version ofthe three-match game known as Candy Crush, the game board has a fixedsize (in FIG. 1; 8×5 elements), and is replenished to the fixed size bygame elements falling downwardly. The fixed size does not need to be 8×5or indeed a matrix, but in the known game it is a fixed size. Accordingto an embodiment of the present invention, there is instead a scrollingversion of the screen illustrated in FIGS. 8 a and 8 b. Note that inFIG. 8 a there are two rows R1 and R2 illustrated at the bottom of thedisplay, and note that the dividing line 40 occurs six rows above thebottom of the display. Above the dividing line there are three visiblerows. Consider now FIG. 8 b where the screen has scrolled upwardly, sothat a user can now not see two R1 and can only see the upper half ofrow R2 at the bottom of the screen. However, an additional row R3 hasnow appeared at the top of the screen and half of a further row R4 withthe rubber rings has also appeared at the top of the screen. This allowsa user to see how progress is being made of the lemonade to bring theteddy bear character 46 up to engagement with the rubber ring 44. Theeffect of this is that the game board appears to move downwards relativeto the background once the lemonade appears to be over halfway up thevisible game board, allowing a player to see the level of rubber ringswhich they must reach, and which was not in immediate view when theplayer started the game.

One aim of the scrolling is to follow the bear character 46 as though heis being followed by a camera. This improves user engagement andinterest in following the fate of the character as it moves towards thetarget. Other modes of moving the camera are available. It is possibleto move in any direction in the two dimensional screen and to controlthe camera to centre on any particular tile based on a predeterminedcondition. For example, a condition could have the following components:same state; goal met; user input; booster. In some embodiments, userinput can thus determine which character or tile to centre the cameraview of the screen.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating the steps taken by the softwareexecuted by a processor in delivering the game mechanics discussedabove. In Step S90 the user input is received at the processor from theuser input device and analysed. In Step S92 the game rules are appliedand it is determined whether or not a match has been detected. If it hasnot then at Step S94 the screen indicates an illegal move. If it has,then the procedure flows to step S96 to generate a visual effect to thedisplay to indicate a match. In addition, at step S96 the location ofthe match is detected, that is, whether it is above or below thedividing line 40. At step S98 the tile physics is identified based onthe location (tile fall down or tile rise up). At step S100 new gameelements are generated for the display and arrive on the display usingthe tile physics identified in Step S98. When generating the gameelements for the display, both the game element and the underlying tilecolour are generated in dependence on where the tile is to be located(above or below the dividing line), which in turn depending on where thematch was created. At step S102, the location of the bear character isdetected to ascertain whether or not a scroll of the screen is required.If no scroll is required then at step S104 the screen view remainsfixed. If however, a scroll of the screen is required then at step S106the screen display is scrolled to show new rows of game elements to theplayer. The scroll of the screen is intended to keep the character at acentred location.

Sidekick

FIGS. 10 a, 10 b, 10 c and 11 illustrate operation of a sidekick in amatch 3 switcher game. The sidekick is denoted by reference numeral 100and has an animated character within a frame 102. The animated charactercan for example be a frog. A charge bar 104 can be visually charged bygame activity. That is, a colour bar can move from left to rightindicating the degree of charge of the sidekick 100. The change bar ischanged by matching candies of a certain colour, for example, blue. InFIG. 10 a, candy 20 g has been moved to a 3-match location, causing theremoval of candies 20 s, 20 h, 20 i (see FIG. 10 b) and a correspondingincrease in change of the charge bar 104, represented by an animatedeffect seen in FIG. 10 b. When the sidekick is fully charged as shown inFIG. 11, it can be activated by a user (by touch or mouse, etc.) and theeffect is that the character, such as the frog 103 jumps out of theframe 102 and destroys all candies of the same colour as the sidekick.For example, in one embodiment the frog is yellow and the frog leaps onto the board and destroys all yellow candies.

Chocolate Removal

FIG. 22 illustrates chocolate blockers at 110. The concept of blockersin a match 3 switcher game is described later. A novel game objective isto destroy all of the chocolate blocks on the game board. This differsfrom the existing version of Candy Crush, where no such game objectiveexists.

Uncover Jelly Bears

In the known version of Candy Crush Saga, some levels have special gameelements known as ‘jelly blocks’. As will be described later, jellyblocks are placed on game tiles underneath game elements. A jelly blockcan be removed by performing a match on the tile on which it is located.FIG. 23 shows a gameboard having jelly blocks placed over it. On thegameboard there are tiles with jellies 231 and tiles without 232.

FIG. 24 shows the gameboard of FIG. 23 at a later point in time afterseveral of the jelly blocks in the top of the screen have been removed.Revealed behind the removed jelly blocks are a further pair of gameobjects 241 a, 241 b each occupying several tiles. In one embodiment,these game objects 241 a, 241 b may take the form of jelly bears.

One novel game objective that may be presented to the player may be tocollect all of these jelly bears by removing all of the jelly blockscovering them. FIG. 25 shows the gameboard after all of the jelly blocksthat were covering the jelly bear 241 b have been removed. Consequently,the jelly bear 241 b is no longer present on the gameboard, and thevalue of the counter 251 has increased by one. To successfully completethe level, the player must remove all of the jelly bears from thegameboard. There is, therefore, no need for all of the jelly blocks tobe removed, as in previous implementations of the game, but only thosethat cover the jelly bears.

Colouring Candy Booster

The concept of booster is described later. FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate anovel booster in the form of colouring candy. The colouring candy lookslike a sweet inside a bubble as illustrated for example at 120 in FIG.12. In FIG. 12 the sweet is an orange sweet. Swapping a colouring candywith one of its adjacent neighbours will cause all occurrences of thatneighbour to change into the colour of the colouring candy. For example,swapping the orange colouring candy 120 with a purple candy such as 124will cause all instances of the purple candy all denoted 124 in FIG. 12to change into orange candies as illustrated at 126 in FIG. 13.

Swapping Wrapped Candy

According to another embodiment of the invention, a new dynamic isintroduced when a colour bomb is swapped with a wrapped candy. This hasthe effect of destroying all the candy on that level. See, for example,FIG. 14 where a colour bomb is denoted 140 and a wrapped candy adjacentit 142. FIG. 15 illustrates the effect of swapping the colour bomb 140with the wrapped candy 142. FIG. 15 also illustrates the numericalscores that result from the destruction of the candies.

Description of Architecture

FIG. 17 shows a schematic picture of a computing device, containing aCentral Processing Unit 172 and Memory 174. The CPU 172 acts accordingto input given from input devices 170, such as a keyboard, mouse ortouchscreen via input parts 176. Computer BUS 178 is used tocommunicate, both between input devices and the CPU, but also betweendifferent controllers within the computer device, such as a graphicscontroller 180 and a network controller. These controllers in turncommunicate with external devices, such as a monitor for video outputwith which the graphics controller communicates, and the networkcontroller communicates with for instance the internet, through wirelessor wired connections. A user can interact with the computing devicethrough input devices, such as a pointing device (e.g. a mouse) and akeyboard. The flow diagrams of FIGS. 3 and 9 are implemented in softwareexecuted by the CPU 172, that can be stored in memory 174. The outputscreens are supplied to graphics controller 180 for supplying game videooutput to a user display 1602 (FIG. 16 c).

FIG. 18 portrays an exemplary overall environment in which the presentinvention can be utilized. A virtual game is stored on for instance agame server 210. The virtual game is to be played on a client device,such as a computer 240, 250 or a smartphone or other handheld device260. The client device can also be a kiosk, arcade gaming station, smartTV or other device with computing capabilities, input devices and ascreen that can present the game to a user. The client devicecommunicates with a game server 210 and a social network server 230, forinstance through the Internet 220 or other network. It should beunderstood that the social network 230 and the game server 210 does nothave to be located in different places, they could be on the same serveror on a plurality of servers located in different locations. Anenvironment where the invention may be implemented is described inPCT/EP2013/060641 which is hereby incorporated by reference.

People skilled in the art will understand that other devices than theexemplary ones listed can be also be used without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

The techniques described in this patent can be deployed in manydifferent gameplay architectures. For example, a computer game can beimplemented as a computer program that is stored and runs entirelylocally on the processor of a PC, games console, tablet or mobiletelephone or other computing device. The game can be implemented solelyas a computer program that is stored and runs entirely on one of manyprocessors in a remote server, and data streams or updates are suppliedto the client device (e.g. tablet, smartphone etc.) to enable the clientto render and display graphics and sounds; this ‘web services’ approachis increasingly common.

Another approach is a hybrid one, in which back-end servers handle someelements of the gameplay, and for instance a Java game applet isprovided to client devices and it is the locally running Java appletthat generates the graphics/sounds/user interaction for gameplay on theplayer's client device. Some data may be fed back to the back-endservers to enable scoring, interaction with other players andcross-platform synchronisation. Generally, the techniques described inthis specification are not specific to any one game architecture but canbe deployed on any suitable game architecture.

The game can be implemented allowing a user to interact with it indifferent ways depending on the capabilities of the device which theuser is accessing the game with. A user can interact with the gamethrough using a touch screen where the user can select and/or moveelements on the game board with a finger or for instance with a stylus.The game can also be played with a pointing device such as a mouse orother interaction devices such as a keyboard.

Mobile devices may have a touch screen interface where the player caninteract with the game using a finger or a pointing device such as astylus. Some mobile devices have hard keys that complement the touchscreen interface. Such hard keys may be in the form of a button or inthe form of a joystick type of interaction.

Over the course of players playing the game, data will be produced. Thisdata can for instance be related to a player's game performance or togame information related to a social network to which the game isconnected. It is possible to gather this data, store it and make use ofit for instance to improve the game. One example is by using a databaseto store the amount of times players try and fail a level on average.This data can then be reviewed, and if the players seem to fail asubstantial amount of times before completing a level, the difficultycan be adjusted accordingly. The difficulty can be adjusted throughchanging a score target for the level, increasing the available time ormoves or giving the player for instance a booster to enhance thegameplay.

There can be certain performance indicators used to measure the successof the game. These indicators can for instance relate to playerretention, the virality of the game and the revenue of the game.

A person skilled in the art will realise that the different approachesto implementing the game is not exhaustive, what is described herein arecertain preferred embodiments. It is possible to implement the way in anumber of variations without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention.

The terms user and player are used interchangeably throughout thisdocument and no specific meaning is intended using one or the otherunless the context suggests otherwise.

Match 3 Switcher Game

The following description describes additional game components of match3 switcher games. The person skilled in the art will understand thatthere are many other ways the present ideas can be implemented and thedescription is not limited to only one implementation. The followingfeatures can be used in combination with any of the aforesaid novel gamecomponents.

GLOSSARY/TERMS

Game board: The area where the matching and swapping of elements occur:Note that the entire game board is not visible to a player but can bescrolled to change the player view.

Game elements: All elements that appear on the game board.

Standard game elements: These are the six basic candies used for makingswitches and colour matches on the game board. Compared to special gameelements, the standard game elements have no extra properties orbehaviour, they are only used to make colour combinations or to createnew special game elements.

Ingredients: Game elements that are included in levels where one of thegoals to complete the level is to bring down ingredient elements to thebottom of the game board.

Jelly block: A game element that is placed underneath other gameelements and need one or two matches on top of them to disappear.

Special game elements: All elements that appear on the game board andwhich have specific behaviours and properties.

Striped candy: A special candy with a line blast effect which means itremoves one row or one column.

Line blast: An effect which removes one row or one column.

Moves & Score Level: In this game mode you have a limited number ofswitches before running out of moves. If you have not reached the scorerequired to earn at least 1 Star, then you will fail the level.

Jelly Level: In this game mode the game board behind the candy iscovered in jelly. Remove the jelly by matching candy on top of thejelly. If you fail to remove all jelly before running out of moves thenyou will fail the level.

Ingredients Level: In this game mode, ingredients will appear on thegame board. Collect these ingredients by bringing them to their deliverypoint. On the side of the board you will see a recipe of how manyingredients you need to collect. If you do not bring down all theingredients before running out of moves then you will fail the level.

Time Limited Level: In this game mode there is a time limit. If you havenot reached the score required to earn at least 1 Star when the timeruns out, then you will fail the level.

Candy Order level: In this game mode, you are tasked with collecting anumber of candies. This is done by removing the wanted candies. If youhave not collected all the wanted candies before running out of movesthen you will fail the level.

Bomb element: a candy in wrapped paper which removes candies in a 3×3square area.

Wrapped candy: a candy in wrapped paper which removes candies in a 3×3square area.

Colour Bomb Removes all candies of the colour it is being swapped with.

Booster: Something that enhances the gameplay and that supports,assists, or increases power or effectiveness.

Blocker: Special game elements that are unswappable, need 1 or morematches next to them to disappear and are in the way for fallingcandies.

Candy Crush Saga™ by the games developer King™ is a game belonging tothe match-3 category of games. This means that the core basic of thegame is to match three or more game elements sharing the same colourwith each other. In Candy Crush Saga, these game elements areimplemented as candies. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 shows one implementation ofthe first level in Candy Crush Saga™ where candies have to be matched tocomplete the level.

Rules

Basic Moves and Combinations

Moves

To play game elements in the shape of candies are swapped with eachother to make moves on a game board. To gain points the player has tomake moves that create matches of at least three of the same candy. Indoing so, the player gains points and the matched candies are removed.As a result, new candies populate the game board in order to fill anyempty spaces created. The game board is populated depending on thephysics of a tile associated with each game element. For all candiesthat are removed on the game board, points are always shown in the samecolour as the candy that was removed, for example three red candies willshow red points, green candies green points and so on. If a blockerelement would be removed then the points shown would be in the samecolour as the candies from the match that removed it.

Only swapping moves that will create at least one combination of atleast three game elements of the same type are allowed.

Limited Number of Moves

A typical game mode of Candy Crush Saga provides the player with alimited number of moves to reach the level target.

In some implementations additional moves can be earned by good gameplay.

The Game Board

The game board is a scrolling game board. The display displays a grid ofsquare tiles, each with a game element, showing a portion of the levelbeing played (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

Different Goals to Complete Levels

To add more diversity and make Candy Crush Saga™ a more dynamic game,players have to fulfil different criteria in order to complete differentlevels; these are referred to as goals. Each level always has one ormore goals that have to be fulfilled in order to complete that level.

Reach a Set Score Before Running Out of Moves

One of Candy Crush Saga's most common goals is to collect a certainamount of points before running out of moves. The points are collectedthrough making matching combinations on the game board. The smartercombinations made, the more points.

Reach a Set Score Before Running Out of Time

Candy Crush Saga also has timed levels. The goal that needs to befulfilled on these levels is to collect a certain amount of pointsbefore time runs out. The smarter combinations made, the more points.

Bring Down Ingredients

Some levels are referred to as Ingredients levels. The Ingredientslevels have two goals which need to be fulfilled in order to completethe level:

-   -   The player has to reach a certain target score before running        out of moves.    -   The player has to bring down a certain number of so-called        ingredients to the bottom of the game board before running out        of moves. When the ingredients reach the bottom of the game        board they disappear and candies above them take their place.        Ingredients are game elements shaped as fruits or nuts and only        exist for this specific goal. They are not matchable with other        game elements but they can be switched with other game elements.        Clear Jelly

One of the most frequent set of goals in Candy Crush Saga is the oneused for levels that contain Jelly blocks. Jelly blocks are gameelements that are found underneath other game elements and need one ortwo matches on top of them to disappear (See description elsewhere). Thegoals that need to be fulfilled on levels with Jelly blocks are:

-   -   Reach target score before running out of moves (as described        elsewhere)    -   Remove all jelly blocks before running out of moves        Collect Certain Elements

Another type of level Candy Crush Saga has introduced to their varietyof game modes is a so-called Order level. Order levels have two goals:

-   -   Reach target score before running out of moves (as described        elsewhere).    -   Collect certain amount of candies through specific matches as        well as achieving hard to make combos specified on the level        played.        Balance Mode

In this game mode, players are required to collect an even amount of twocolours of candies to complete the level. The level goal can beindicated with a scale where the two different types of candies to becollected are placed on either side. When the count is unbalanced, oneside of a scale starts tipping, the bigger the difference the faster ittips. If one end touches bottom level has failed. Score is given to theplayer based on the number of moves it takes to collect the requiredamount of the two colours.

Crescendo Mode

The goal of this game mode is to light up all squares/cells on the gameboard. In some implementations, the requirement to light up a cell is tocombine a candy that is in that cell. In other implementations, theplayer has to combine multiple candies in the same cell before it lightsup.

Digging Mode

In this game mode, players are required to combine candies in cellsadjacent to blockers in order to ‘dig’ down in the level. When digging,the player can uncover objects that are covered initially.

Multiple Game Modes

All of the game modes described herein can also be used in anycombination with one another. For instance, the requirement to completeone level could be to remove all jelly as well as bringing downingredients.

Basic Rules

How to Play

If the player tries to make a move with two candies in such a way thatno candy will be matched with at least two more of its own colour, thenthe move will not be allowed and the player will have to try to findanother move.

If no moves are possible on the game board then all the candies arereshuffled so that there will always be at least one possible moveavailable. If the player can't see or find a move to make, then the gamehelps the player by giving a hint. The hint is displayed after a fewseconds of inactivity and is shown by brightening and magnifying thecandies of a possible move in a flashing animation.

Advanced Rule

Not only the match of 3 candies is allowed but matches of more candiescan also be done; see FIG. 19 for the different possible match patterns.Matches with more than 3 candies give more points and is something theplayer should try and aim for. Different acceptable matches are:

-   -   Match of 3 in a line.    -   Match of four in a vertical line.    -   Match of four in a horizontal line.    -   Match of four in a 2×2 square.    -   Match of five in a vertical line.    -   Match of five in a horizontal line.    -   Match of five in a T-shape.    -   Match of five in an L-shape.    -   Match of 6 or more candies in a combination of 4-in-a-row,        5-in-a-row,    -   T- and L-shapes.

As can be noticed from the list of possible matches, no diagonal matchesare accepted. Diagonal matches and/or swaps can be allowed in someimplementations of the game.

Combos to Receive Special Elements

Matches made of four or more candies not only give more points but alsoreward the player with special game elements. The special game elementsreceived from combos have various positive properties and can be used togain more points and to easier pass a level. The elements received fromdifferent matches are:

-   -   4-in-a-row: Striped candy    -   4 in a 2×2 block: Fish    -   L- or T-shape: Wrapped candy    -   5-in-a-row: Colour bomb

If a match is made with more than 6 candies, then it is likely that thecombo is a shape merged from 4-in-a-row, 5-in-a-row, L-shape andT-shape. If so, there is a hierarchy of what kind of special element isreceived:

-   -   If there is a merge of 4-in-a-row and an L- or T-shape, then the        special game element received will be the same as from an L- or        T-shape. L- and T-shapes give the same special game element.    -   If there is a merge of 5-in-a-row and an L- or T-shape, then the        special game element received will be the same as from a        5-in-a-row combo.        How to Trigger Special Elements

To use the special game elements received from combos there are twodifferent ways:

-   -   Some of the special game elements are triggered through a        standard match with two or more candies of the same colour as        the special game element.    -   Some of the special game elements are triggered by swapping        place with any candy regardless if a match-3 is made.        Combining Special Elements with Each Other

Special game elements received from matches can be combined with eachother for various positive effects affecting the game board. Stripedcandies, Wrapped candies and Colour bombs can all be matched with eachother. To trigger these combos they do not need to be matched by gameelements of the same colour but can simply be swapped with each otherfor an instant trigger.

Points

The points given for different combinations and removals of blocks are:

-   -   3-in-a-row: 60 points    -   4-in-a-row: 120 points    -   5-in-a-row: 200 points    -   T-shape: 200 points    -   L-shape: 200 points    -   Break a Jelly block: 1000 points    -   Break a Frosting block: 20 points/per block    -   Break a Chocolate block: 20 points/per block    -   Get an ingredient to the bottom of the screen: 10 000 points    -   Using a special game element to remove other game elements: 60        points/per element removed        Game Elements        Standard Game Elements

In Candy Crush Saga there are 6 standard game elements (see FIG. 15)which all look like candies:

-   -   Purple candy in the shape of a flower    -   Blue candy in the shape of a sphere    -   Green candy in the shape of a square block    -   Red candy in the shape of a tilted bean    -   Yellow candy in the shape of a drop    -   Orange candy in the shape of an oval        Special Game Elements

Special game elements can either be received from special combos or froman automatic placement on the game board.

Special Game Elements Received from Combos

Striped Candy

How to Generate a Striped Candy

A Striped candy is given by matching four candies of the same colour ina horizontal or vertical line.

Looks

The Striped candies have the same shape and colour as the standard gameelements except for that they have white vertical or horizontal lines onthem. The colour and the shape of the striped candy will be the same asthe candies' which were being matched to create it.

If the match of four candies is done in a horizontal line then a candywith vertical lines will be given. If a match of four candies is done ina vertical line, then a candy with horizontal lines will be given.

Effect

Striped candies remove a whole row or column depending on if it was madefrom a vertical or horizontal combo. The white lines on the candyindicate whether it will remove a row or a column. To trigger a Stripedcandy it needs to be matched with two more candies of the same colour.

Striped candies removes all candies in a row or column also if the gameboard is divided up in two or more areas that are not connected. Theplayer can this way remove candies from areas that otherwise would behard or impossible to find combinations in. The impact of different gameboard designs are described elsewhere in this document.

Animation when Used

When a Striped candy is being triggered, an animation shoots out of theStriped candy following the row or column which it is removing. Theanimation looks something like the candy being stretched out and turnedinto lines that shoot out together with a sparkle effect. For allcandies that are being removed, the points given for each candy will beshown in the same colour as the candy being removed.

Wrapped Candy

How to Generate a Wrapped Candy

A Wrapped candy is given by having an L- or T-shaped combination.

Looks

The Wrapped candies have the same shape and colour as standard gameelements but with a wrapping around them. The colour and the shape ofthe Wrapped candy will be the same as the candies' which were beingmatched to create it.

Effect

The Wrapped candy is triggered by matching it with two more candies ofthe same colour. The result of the trigger are two explosions removingcandies in a 3×3 square around the Wrapped candy. The first explosionoccurs instantly when the Wrapped candy is being triggered, the secondexplosion occurs after all candies from the first explosion have beenremoved and replaced with new candies. If the Wrapped candy is at theedge of the game board an explosion will happen but there is no effectfrom the part of the explosion area that is outside of the game board.When swapped with a colour bomb, all candy in the level is destroyed.

Animation when Used

When a Wrapped candy detonates, an animation with sparkling effect andlight circles is shown with the Wrapped candy in the centre of theanimation.

Colour Bomb

How to Generate a Colour Bomb

A Colour bomb is received when matching five candies in a vertical orhorizontal line.

Looks

The Colour ball looks like a chocolate sweet. A round ball with multicoloured sprinkles on it.

Effect

To trigger the Colour bomb it can be swapped with any candy, no match-3is necessary. When the Colour bomb is triggered, it removes all candiesof the same colour as the candy that was used to trigger it.

Animation when Used

When the Colour bomb is being used. Blue coloured lightning bolts shootsout from the colour bomb to all candies that are going to be removed.

Other Special Game Elements

Mystery Candy

How to Generate a Mystery Candy

Mystery Candies are placed randomly on the game board and do not need aspecial combination to appear.

Looks

The Mystery candies have an oval flattened shape which is slightlytilted and with a question mark painted onto it. The Mystery candy comesin the 6 standard candy colours.

Effect

To use the mystery candy it needs to be included in a standard match-3with candies of the same colour as the Mystery candy. The Mystery candywill then turn into a random game element which could have eitherpositive or negative impact for the player. It could for example turninto a Striped candy or a Colour bomb, or it could turn into somethingless fortunate for example a spreading chocolate block (see descriptionelsewhere) or a bomb that counts down and explodes to make the playergame over.

Animation when Used

When the Mystery candies are used in a combination they burst and turninto a random element.

Lucky Candy

How to Generate a Lucky Candy

Lucky candies are inserted on the game board automatically when havingselected a pre-game booster which specifically adds Lucky candies to thecandy mix on the game board.

Looks

The Lucky candy looks like a flattened sphere with a white tick markpainted on top of it. The candy comes in all the 6 standard candycolours.

Effect

To use the Lucky candy it need to be matched with two more candies ofthe same colour. The Lucky candy will then turn into a random positivegame element.

Animation when Used

When the Lucky candy is being matched it looks like it is unwrapped andbehind the wrap it reveals the new game element.

Fish

How to Generate a Fish

Fishes are placed on the game board by selecting a pre-game booster thatspecifically does so. They can also be created by creating a match of 4candies in a 2×2 block.

Further ahead in the game the Fish can also appear randomly on the gameboard.

Looks

The Fish looks like a candy jelly fish. It comes in the same colours asthe standard 6 candies.

Effect

The fish is used by matching it with two more candies of the samecolour. Doing so will cause the fish to swims towards a random elementon the gameboard and remove it. If there are Jelly blocks or otherblockers then the game will prioritize to remove those before removing acandy that stands on an empty square.

Polka Fish

How to Generate a Polka Fish

This fish is given when combining a Fish with a Striped candy. TheStriped candy and the Fish do not need to be of the same colour.Furthermore the Polka fish will be triggered instantly and cannot besaved for later use.

Looks

The Polka fish looks like a standard candy Fish but with the same kindof stripes as the Striped candy.

Effect

The Polka fish turns a random candy into a vertical or horizontalstriped candy which in turn is instantly triggered and creates a lineblast effect.

Animation when Used

In one implementation, as with the standard candy Fish and the WrappedFish, the created Polka fish swims out of view and returns with two morePolka fishes of the same colour which then swims to the position of thecandies that are to be turned into triggered line blast elements. Havingreached their destination the Polka fishes disappear.

Colour Changing Candy

How to Generate a Colour Changing Candy

These candies are placed automatically on the game board. They couldalso be a resulting candy when having used a mystery candy.

Looks

Like a standard candy but with a soft glow around it and an animation ofa rainbow passing by over the surface of the candy.

Effect

The candy changes between two colours for every switch made on the gameboard.

Teleporter

This is a game element that is automatically placed on a fixed positionon an edge of one of the cells in the game board. The teleporter willtypically be placed on the game board in pairs where one of theteleporters act as an entry point for candies falling on the game boardacross the cell edge where the teleporter sits. The candy will then beintroduced on the game board where the exit point teleporter sits. So ifa candy is normally falling one way from the top of the game board tothe bottom of the game board, the teleporter can move a candy up thegame board again or to another area of the game board.

The teleporter does not fall down or take space on the area whereswitching is done and it is never included in any colour combinations.

Jelly Blocks

Jelly blocks are introduced early in the game and a typical goal tocomplete a level is to remove all Jelly blocks on the game board.Alternatively, the goal to complete a level may be to uncover largergame objects that are positioned behind several jelly blocks as seen inFIG. 17.

The Jelly blocks are placed behind candies and are stuck into place.They cannot be swapped and they do not fall down if candies below themare being removed.

To remove a Jelly block a match has to be made on top of it. SometimesJelly blocks consist of two layers and then they need two matches on topof them to be removed.

Candy Cannon

This is a visible game mechanic. In one implementation it can indicatewhere liquorice, bombs, and ingredients are set to appear.

Combining Special Game Elements

Special game elements can be combined with each other through a simpleswitch. Doing so creates powerful effects that help the player earn morepoints and to easier pass a level.

The different combos and effects received are:

-   -   Two Striped candies    -   Two Wrapped candies    -   One Striped and one Wrapped candy    -   One Wrapped candy and one Colour bomb    -   One Striped candy and one Colour bomb    -   Two Colour bombs    -   Two Fish        Two Striped Candies

Combining two Striped candies will trigger two simultaneous line blastswhere one row and one column is removed in a cross shaped way, see FIG.24. It does not matter if the Striped candies combined are horizontal orvertical. The column and row blasts will be initiated from the positionwhich the moved striped candy has been moved to.

Two Wrapped Candies

Swapping any two Wrapped candies with each other will create a doubleexplosion as with a standard Wrapped candy, the difference being thatthe area of effect will be much larger and remove everything in a 6×5square area or a 5×6 square area depending on if the Wrapped candies areplaced next to each other horizontally or vertically.

One Striped and One Wrapped Candy

Combining any Striped candy with any Wrapped candy will trigger 3horizontal and 3 vertical line blast effects. The result is threeadjacent rows being removed and thereafter three adjacent columns beingremoved.

One Wrapped Candy and One Colour Bomb

Combining these two will first remove all of the candies on thegameboard. See, for example, FIG. 14 where a colour bomb is denoted 140and a wrapped candy adjacent it 142. FIG. 15 illustrates the effect ofswapping the colour bomb 140 with the wrapped candy 142.

One Striped Candy and One Colour Bomb

The combination of these two special candies will turn all candies ofthe same colour as the Striped candy into randomly vertical orhorizontal Striped candies which are then instantly triggered and fillsthe game board with line blasts.

Two Colour Bombs

Combining two Colour bombs will remove all game elements on the gameboard except if a game element is a multi-layered blocker (seedescription elsewhere). If a game element has more than one layer thenone of those layers will be removed.

Two Fish

Combing two fish causes three fish to swim out from the position of thecombination to three random locations on the gameboard. The fishesremove the game elements at the three position that they swim to.

Coconut Wheel and Colour Bomb

First, all candies which the game board has the most of will be removed.After those candies have been removed, the Coconut wheel will roll overthe board and every candy it rolls over will turn into stripes.

Coconut Wheel and Striped Candy

With this combination, the Coconut wheel will roll over the board andturn all candies it rolls over into Striped candies that instantlytriggers.

Coconut Wheel and Wrapped Candy

With this combination, the Coconut wheel turns all candies that it rollsover into Wrapped candies which are then instantly triggered andexplodes.

Blockers

The game implements several different kinds of so called Blockers.Blockers are negative game elements that are in the way for the playerwhen wanting to make matches on different areas of the game board. Thegame described herein has a new game objective associated with aChocolate blocker.

The Chocolate blocker not only blocks a space on the game board but alsomultiplies to block even larger areas of the game board. If a colourcombination is made next to a Chocolate blocker then no Chocolate blockwill multiply and that Chocolate block will be removed. However, if acolour match is made and is not next to a chocolate block then one ofthe Chocolate blocks on the game board will multiply and another spaceon the game board will be filled with a Chocolate blocker. The spacethat receives a new Chocolate block will always be adjacent to anexisting Chocolate block, however, which Chocolate block on the gameboard it will come from is seemingly random. If all Chocolate blocks onthe game board have been removed then no new Chocolate blocks willappear. Chocolate blockers cannot be swapped and change places but arestuck where they are. Chocolate blockers can only multiply to a cell onthe game board that is occupied with a candy.

Boosters

Novel boosters discussed herein include the colouring candy and theManually Operated Sidekick.

In-Game

Game Board

Part of the game board is presented to the player while playing levelsin Candy Crush Saga. The term game board signifies the area thatcontains candies and other elements such as ingredients, jelly andfrosting, not the surrounding landscape such as the score meter and theheart showing the amount of lives left. The entire game board is notvisible to a player; instead the CPU can control the user interface toscroll the service board to a player.

There are audio controls on the user interface used for the music andsound effects. The amount of moves the player has left to complete thelevel is shown. The current score of the player, expressed in absolutepoints is presented so that the player may follow the gameplay. The starmeter, showing an indication of how much points the player has inrelation to the pre-defined goals required for achieving a certainamount of stars. The game board is populated with regular candies inregular cells and or tiles. The number of lives the player has left isshown. Both the current level of the game and a symbol indicating whatthe goal of the level is are shown in relation to the game board. Thephysics of a tile governs where new candies enter onto the board whenexisting ones are removed. For part of the game board (upper part inFIG. 16) new candies are generated from the top and fall downwards asshown by the arrows, and for the lower part in FIG. 16 candies aregenerated from the bottom and move into place upwards.

The entire game board is not visible to a player: instead it can scrollupwards or downwards depending how the game progresses as describedearlier.

Star Meter

In the most basic version, this feature serves the purpose of lettingplayers know their performance while playing the game by showing whichlevel of score they have accomplished. The level of score is determinedby the amount of points gathered and compared against predefined levelsthat will earn the player one, two or three stars. Stars are arepresentation of how well a player is performing on a level. Achievingat least one star is required to pass a level. Achieving more than onestars indicates that a player is performing better than the minimumrequired and is a factor that helps drive engagement by making playersfeel more skilled. The amount of points required to achieve one, two orthree stars is pre-defined and typically does not change for any level.However, in some implementations it is possible to have a variable scorerequired for different amounts of stars, for instance one that iscorrelated with the average scores of all players playing the game.

In some implementations, there are indications of the performance ofother players displayed during the play of a level. This information isoften based on data from previously completed levels, but it can also berelated to levels that have been attempted and failed by other players.Performance information can for instance be derived from a socialnetwork connected to the game or from databases more directly related tothe game. In some implementations, players can see the score of otherplayers in real-time, thus increasing the competitive element of thegame. The other players whose performance will be displayed is sometimeschosen by the player, sometimes automatically derived from a socialnetwork of the player, and other times it can be based on otherelements, such as the performance of all players of the game.

In some implementations, the player can see indications of the previoushigh score achieved on a level while playing it. It is also possiblethat no indication of the player's own previous score is shown.

In some implementations, the indications of the performance of otherplayers are shown in relation to the score meter. It can be bothabsolute and relative indications. The indications can be in the form ofpictures associated with the players. When the player passes the scoreof another player or the previous best score the player has achieved, amessage can be shown to encourage the player and denote theaccomplishment.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited to usingstored scores to show the performance of other players. In oneimplementation, players can see the scores of other players currentlyplaying the same level while they are playing it, making it so that theindications of other players' scores can be moving in real time duringthe play of a game.

The score comparisons presented to the player can be given inpercentages, points and when applicable other indicators, for instancetime played or number of attempts on a level.

The look of a level, as well as the overall look of the virtuallandscape, can change as the player performs better. For instance, afterachieving one star during the play of a level, the digits shown whenscoring points can turn into a different colour. The lookout of thevirtual landscape can become warmer and more colourful as more stars aregained. The look of the game can change according to other variables aswell, such as the in-game view changing depending on how many moves areleft in order to convey a sense of urgency.

The Star Meter also has other important functions. One is that the scoreof friends from a social network is shown on the meter, if there is dataavailable. This increases competition and incentivises players to replaylevels in order to beat the score of friends.

Another function is that the amount of stars achieved on each level isshown next to the levels on the map view. This gives players an overviewof their overall performance in the game. Also, in order to complete alevel the player needs to reach the amount of points needed to achieveat least one star.

Soda Crush End Game

Upon finishing a level, Candy Crush Saga may display the words “SugarCrush” accompanied by audio saying the words. In one embodiment, thefirst thing that happens after this display is that all special candiestrigger one after another, removing other game elements and gainingpoints. Secondly, the special game elements—such as wrapped candies,stripped candies, etc—may be placed on the gameboard in random positionand instantly triggered, removing further game elements and gainingpoints. The number of game elements placed on the board may be equal tothe number of moves that remain to the player upon completion of thelevel.

Candy Fish

In some game modes, players are awarded for their remaining moves by anumber of candy fish spawning. The fish are proportional to the amountof remaining moves left. The fish come from outside the game board andrandomly seek out candies, which are removed upon impact. Playersreceive bonus score for when each fish hits a candy.

Wrapped Candy Transformation

In levels where the player has a limited amount of time, there arecertain candies that are marked with a ‘+5’ symbol, meaning that theygive an additional 5 seconds if popped. If any of these candies remainwhen the time runs out, they transform into wrapped candies thatsubsequently trigger.

Pre-Level

Before starting a level, players have to select which level to play fromthe map view. The exception to this is the very first time Candy CrushSaga is played, when level one starts immediately. When selecting alevel, the player is shown information about the level, such as theamount of points needed, the available boosters that can be used, thegoal of the level and also the high scores of friends who havepreviously played that level.

A difference between playing a level for the first time and playing apreviously completed level is that the previous best score of the playeris displayed, together with the amount of stars achieved. Also, the textthat is telling the player what the target goal is, in terms of points,is changed depending on how many stars the players has achieved before.Having the game set up in this way increases replayability by makingplayers focus on always improving, but not necessarily too much at atime. If the first goal presented was the one correlating to threestars, players could feel inadequate if they get less points than that,even if the level was completed.

The player can choose boosters that will in some way affect the gameplay, before starting a level. Boosters are unlocked and gained as theplayer progresses throughout the game, but it is also possible topurchase more boosters.

It is also possible to help friends by sending them lives.

Post-Level

Completing a Level

When completing a level, the player is presented with a screen thatshows the amount of points gained, the amount of stars achieved and theprevious high scores of friends.

After the post-level screen has been closed, the player may be presentedwith yet another screen related to the performance of the just completedlevel.

Both the Post-level screen and the screen that shows when a friend hasbeen beaten present the player with an option to share this information.The sharing part is done on a social network to which the game isconnected. By sharing information such as which friends the player hasbeaten, competition is encouraged and the viralisation of the game isincreased, due to people not playing the game also being able to seesuch messages.

It is possible to help friends by sending lives from this screen aswell. This can be done with a click on an icon with a heart and letteron it, next to the friends' names. The tick marks indicate that theplayer has already sent lives to those friends. The player may only sendlives to any one friend once within a certain period of time—forinstance once per day.

Failing to Complete a Level

When failing to complete a level, a screen similar to the one shown whencompleting a level is displayed. The difference is that the screen whenfailing a level has a broken heart on it, together with informationstating why the level was failed. Failing a level can happen due to anumber of reasons, such as not reaching the minimum score for one star,failing to accomplish the goal or by a bomb exploding. The player isinformed of the reason for why he has failed the level. Understandingwhy you have failed a level increases the likelihood that he player willtry to play the level again to reach that target for the level. Ifwanting to play the same level again there is an option to do so. In oneimplementation the option to replay the failed level is presented with alarge and visually significant button.

Level Progress and Ways of Playing the Game

Ways to Play the Game

Games created using the techniques described herein can be playedlocally on a player's computer or handheld device. The game can also beplayed over the Internet where the whole game or portions are downloadedand executed on the local machine or run on a remote computer or server.The user's progress in the game and results can be stored locally andcompared to the user and other players on the local computer. Theprogress and results can in an alternative embodiment be synchronisedwith other players, either directly or through a server or socialnetwork or gaming platform.

Cross-Device and Cross-Game Functionalities

Three platforms in particular are changing the way people expect gamesto be played. These three platforms are growing at the same time, andprovide new input possibilities. To date, games have not absorbed allthe new input possibilities.

The first platform is Facebook. The skilled person will understand thatwhere Facebook is referred to in this document, other social networkplatforms may be used. A Facebook game may be a social game, a game youplay with your friends. It is rare or unthinkable to launch a game (i.e.to play for the first time) on Facebook that is a paid game, becausepeople playing games on Facebook expect not to pay to access a game. AFacebook game may be played on the internet, after logging in toFacebook (whether automatically or manually), such as from a personalcomputer.

The second platform is smartphones. Use of smartphones is not alwayscontinuous. You may use a smartphone for 5 minutes on a bus, and thenfor 20 minutes on a connecting train, for example. The use can have manystarts and stops, not like someone working at an office desk or at ahome desk in a conventional way. A smartphone can be on an iOS platform,or on an Android platform, for example.

The third platform is tablets. A tablet can function as a mobile deviceand as a non-mobile device. The tablet can be a substitute for apersonal computer. A user may want a seamless experience between usingthe game on a personal computer and on a tablet and on another mobiledevice. A tablet can be on an iOS platform, or on an Android platform,for example.

A game which works on a plurality of, such as all three of the aboveplatforms (or more), may provide a connected fully-synchronized seamlessexperience. Hence multi-platform games are important. Key criteria formulti-platform games are: they are free, they are social, stop-start useis possible, and seamless experience is provided. Such games may be“played anywhere” e.g. in a mobile environment or in a non-mobileenvironment. Such games may also be played online or offline.

The game must be fun when used in a stop-start way, and when used foreven just short intervals. In an example, a game consists of parts orlevels, each of which runs for about 3 minutes, e.g. between 1 and 5minutes. In an example, a game is structured in levels, so that ifsuccessful in a game level, such as by scoring a minimum score, a usercan progress from that level to the next level. In an example, a gamehas about 200 levels.

A game can be optimized post-launch. For example, if it is clear thattoo many users are failing to progress past a particular level, theminimum score to pass the level can be lowered. An optimized game may beprovided as an application update from an application store. In analternative, a game may be optimized by a server sending a revised datafile of scores required to pass each game level to a mobile device, whena game state of a user is being synchronized with the server, whereinthe application running on the device replaces the previous file ofscores stored on the device required to pass each level with the revisedfile of scores required to pass each level.

The progress of a player is also synchronised across devices, forinstance between a handheld device and a computer. This is described infurther detail in Appendix A. The player can play on one platform, havethe progress saved and then continue playing seamlessly on anotherplatform. It is also possible for the player to play on offline devicesand having the game synchronise when a connection is available.

In some implementations, players can be rewarded for playing the game onmultiple platforms. For instance, players active on a computer-basedplatform could get a bonus for also installing the game on a handhelddevice.

Players can also be rewarded for playing multiple games that arerelated, for instance games from the same developer. When choosing toplay a new game, the player can receive bonuses in another game. Thiscan be triggered by using a link from one game to the other, or by gamessharing information between one another so that it automatically detectsa player that is playing more than one game and subsequently rewardsthem.

It is also possible that games can have elements in common that enablescertain objects, for instance boosters, to be usable in multiple games.These games can be located on the same or on different servers. In someimplementations, a booster bought in Candy Crush Saga can be used inanother game that shares certain features with it.

One example of an implementation with synchronisation across platformsis as follows:

A first server, for instance one hosting a social network, with a firstdata store storing data relating to the state of a game. The firstserver is configured to communicate with a first plurality of devices,such as mobile phones or personal computers, through a first applicationprogramming interface, where the first plurality of devices is relatedto a first computing platform.

A second server, for instance one hosting a game platform, with a seconddata store storing data relating to the state of the game. The secondserver is configured to communicate with a second plurality of devices,such as mobile phones or personal computers, through a secondapplication programming interface, where the second plurality of devicesis related to a second computing platform.

A third server with a third data store, configured to communicate withthe first and the second server. The three servers are configured tosynchronise the three data stores in such a way that when synchronized,the first, second and third data store all relate to a synchronised gamestate.

Localisation and Updates

It is possible for implementations of the game to vary depending on thelocation of the player. For instance, the language can be adapted andtranslated into different languages. It can also be so that updates ofthe game are incorporated at different times in different locations, inorder to avoid interference with the times of the day that players areas most active.

If trying to access the game online, as opposed to starting a localversion that is saved on the device, while updates are being made, theplayer can be met by a message saying that the game cannot be accessedright at that moment. Such a message could be displayed instead of thegame as a placeholder for when the game is taken offline, for instanceso that the game can be updated with new features and software.

Progress Over Several Levels

The game can be implemented so that a player progresses through multiplelevels of changing and typically increasing difficulty. The userinterface can present a virtual map layout of a game environment,displayed on the computing device used by the game player. As the playertravels through the levels in the game, his progress is represented as ajourney along a path in the virtual map. Representing progress in thismanner provides an additional layer of engagement for players, and alsoopportunities for viralisation and monetisation.

The virtual map consists of stages with varying number of levels. Theuser travels between levels and completes the levels one by one along apath by playing the associated game. When the player reaches the goal ofa level, the next level is unlocked and the player can play that levelin the game. The number of stages and levels can vary depending on theimplementation. The levels can be numbered consecutively throughout thegame or they can be numbered within a stage, it is also understood thatother ways of identifying the stages and levels can be implemented. Newstages to the virtual map 12 can be added by the game designers at anytime—so a game may be launched with say 20 levels, and after a number ofweeks, there may be fifty or sixty levels present.

One way of unlocking new stages is to complete the last level on thelatest stage. The user is sometimes faced with challenges to unlock thenext stage in the virtual map.

In one implementation, traveling from one stage to another once all thelevels have been completed on that stage requires the help of forinstance three friends. The player can ask friends for help by sendingan in-game message within the game environment or for instance through asocial network that the game is connected to. The friends can already beplaying the game and do not have to be ‘new’ players, but they can befriends not already on the same social network.

The player can also pay to get instant access to the locked stage. Theplayer can use a combination of help from friend and payment to unlockthe new stage. The cost for unlocking can in some implementations belowered as a fraction of the total number of friends needed when helpfrom some but not all needed friends have been received.

The request for help is sent to the friend who then has the option toaccept to help. The request for help can in some implementations be sentusing the social network to which the game is connected; an alternativeimplementation is to send the request to someone external to the game(via email, text message, instant message for instance) who has to jointhe game to respond to the help request. This is one of the viralisationtechniques implemented in this game.

In addition to the virtual map layout, there can also be other levels orstages that are not part of the progress along the path in the virtualmap. Such stages or levels can be present in the game associated withthe virtual map at all times or can be unlocked when the user reaches acertain in-game achievement. This in-game achievement can for instancebe completing a specific level, reaching a predetermined high score (forinstance, collecting a specific number of stars when completing alevel—highly skilled gameplay can win the user three stars) or payingvirtual currency to unlock the stage or level.

The map layout can be used in games connected to or linked with a socialnetwork. It is common that the users on such networks have avatars withfor instance a photo of the user and/or the user's name. Such avatarscan for instance also be a sign or a figure. It is understood that thereare different implementations of showing where the user currently is onthe map. This can for instance be the latest level the user completed,the level with the highest score or the last completed level along thetraversed path.

The user can in some embodiments be given the option to select whichusers should be shown on the virtual map. The users to choose from canbe friends on a social network, or the user can get suggestions to showfriends which meet a certain criteria, for instance friends which theplayer has interacted with the most in the past or friends living in thesame geographic area as the player. The user can get the option tochoose from other people not being friends on the social network, butthat meet other certain criteria.

The user can play any of the unlocked levels on the map, so the user cango back and replay already completed levels to get a better score orbeat friends' high scores.

The player is in some implementations of the game rewarded for goodgameplay of a level, for instance reaching a target score. In someimplementations the user has to reach a certain number of points tocomplete a level, reaching this target score can be represented with asymbol such as a star. In one implementation a star is lit when the userreaches a certain number of points in a level. The user can earn morethan one star on each level and the levels are re-playable to get ahigher score.

The player's total number of stars collected in the game can in someembodiments unlock features. The unlocked features can for instance bepower-ups, in-game currency or bonus levels.

The symbol representing how well the user has played on each level canbe displayed alongside the level on the map.

If the game is connected to a social network or the user has connectedwith other players in the game, the levels will present a leaderboardshowing who among the user's connections has the highest score. Therecan in some embodiments be a notification 11 shown on the map if theuser that has the highest score among the friends connected to the game.

The type of game mode or game goals for a level can be displayed on themap as a symbol.

Animations and Interactions on the Virtual Map

The landscape of the virtual map will typically have animated sequenceswhich give a feeling of the map being alive and dynamic. For example,trees on the map can sway in the wind, animals can move around and theplayer progressing from one level to another can be accompanied by ananimation of a player-associated character moving on the map.

In some implementations, it is possible for the player to interact withobjects on the map in such a way that animations are triggered. Forinstance, clicking on a bird can make it fly into the air and hoveringover water can make waves appear.

It is also possible to have any combination of a map that is static butreacts to player input, a static map that does not react to playerinput, a dynamic map that reacts to player input and a dynamic map thatdoes not react to player input.

Head to Head Tournaments

The game can also be implemented to be played with a limited time orlimited number of moves or both over a consecutive set of levels. Thescore can be collected over the several levels to give the player ascore for all the levels completed.

The player can in some implementations play the game in head to headtournaments against one or several other players. The player with thehighest collective score over the number of levels will be the winner inthe tournament. In some implementations the tournaments are played withreal time comparisons of players' scores, in other implementations thescores of players are compared after finishing a level.

The game can also be played in tournaments with jackpots where theplayer plays the same level where the same types of game elements areused.

The game can also be played in an elimination competition against otherplayers.

Rewards and Bonuses

The game can have schemes for giving rewards and bonuses to players. Onereason for giving out rewards is to increase player engagement, and tosome extent to help with monetisation. Players can for instance berewarded for playing multiple days in a row, something that awardspersistence and dedication. In other implementations, there is a dailybonus available that is gained by every player playing the game onlineduring that day, or to players passing a certain secret location duringthat day. By giving players samples of existing boosters, they are givena free preview of purchasable items that potentially can lead to salesin the long run, which helps monetise the game.

Virtual Landscape

The virtual landscape of Candy Crush Saga is presented to the player inbetween levels. This is also referred to as the ‘map view’ and the‘virtual map’ within this document. The player travels along a virtualpath as more levels are completed in the game, which gives the feel ofmoving forward.

Total Looks

The looks of the map view is in the style of a physical foldable gameboard such as one commonly used for board games. However, since CandyCrush Saga is not a physical board game but a virtual one, the board ismuch larger than what can be displayed in a single screen. The playercan at any time, while in the map view, look at all available levels andalso scroll through the entirety of the map board. Having such a stylegives a strong feeling of actually progressing forward in the game asmore levels become unlocked.

Navigation

When navigating on a map in a game, it is sometimes difficult to finddesired spot or area of the map if the map is, for example, too large.As mentioned earlier, the levels of the game may be grouped togetherinto “stages”. In one embodiment, a list of the different stages of thegame may be present in an expandable tab. By clicking on one of thestages in this list the screen jumps to the location of this stage onthe main map, thereby allowing the player to rapidly navigate the mainmap. In this document we refer to the expandable tab and the mini map asthe navigator.

Navigator Hidden

If the player does not need to use the navigator then it is unnecessaryfor it to take up precious screen space. Therefore, in oneimplementation the navigator is only in full view when the player needsit; the rest of the time it is hidden with only a small part of itshowing. Clicking on this small part will expand the navigator and letthe player use it. Clicking on the same part again will once more hidethe navigator. In one implementation, when the navigator is hidden, asmall tab is placed at the bottom right edge of the screen which will inturn expand the navigator when clicked on.

In one implementation, if the player for example wants to jump to thefurthest reached location on the map, then there is a home button whichwill take the player there directly. Pressing the home button will notonly take the player to the current location but will also hide thenavigator, giving the player a full view. With the home button, theplayer can always find their active location in the blink of an eye.

Another implementation may be to offer the player filtering and multiplechoices of where to jump on the map. There could for example be an iconwhich when pressed lets the player choose exactly which level to jumpto. There could also be an alternative to receive a list of levels theplayer can jump to which satisfy certain criteria, for example alllevels with limited moves and ingredients in them. The filter couldoffer many kinds of choices.

Theme

Overall Theme

The overall theme of Candy Crush Saga lends a special atmosphere to thegame. Everything is candy-themed with bright and warm colours used inall animations and pictures. The words used for encouragement throughoutthe game, such as ‘sweet’ and ‘delicious’, serve as an example of thecandy-theme.

Individual Areas and Level Progression

As the player progresses in the game, new areas/episodes are unlocked.Each episode has a related story and often a mini-theme that is presentin at least some levels in the area. Also, the same background pictureis used in all levels in the same area. When reaching a new are thebackground image will change. Each episode also has a specific colourwhich is used in the virtual landscape-view to show the differentepisodes.

The episodes all have different names, each with a candy-theme to it forexample Candy Town, Candy Factory, Lemonade Lake, Chocolate Mountains,Lollipop Forrest and so on.

Within each episode there is a set of levels. The division of levelsbetween the episodes is not entirely linear. The first two episodesconsist of ten levels each, while episodes three and onward eachconsists of 15 levels each. This makes it easier for the player toadvance in the beginning, something that can be important for playerretention and engagement.

Path

In the virtual landscape, the player follows a virtual path as the gameprogresses. After completing a level, the next one becomes unlocked andthe player ‘travels’ there on the virtual map. There is an indicatorshowing which level the player is currently on; in one implementationthe indicator is in the form of an orange arrow bouncing up and down.

The virtual landscape is divided into areas, each area representing adifferent episode of the game. The episodes are also coloureddifferently, with one colour being used consistently throughout oneepisode/area. The end of an episode is marked by a special kind ofobstacle that can only be passed with the help of three friends, orthrough a purchase. When passing these kinds of obstacles, there is acelebratory animation accompanying the passage to signal that the playerhas progressed into a new episode of the game.

Unreached Areas

In the virtual landscape, levels that have not yet been reached by theplayer are shown in a different way than levels already accessible.There is also a difference between unreached levels in an unlocked areaand unreached levels in areas not yet unlocked. As can be seen in areasthat have not yet been reached are greyed out. This furthers theexperience of giving players a sense of accomplishment when reaching anew area, since it is reflected by the virtual landscape actuallychanging slightly.

Collaboration Blocks

As already mentioned, there are special obstacles that hinder the playerfrom reaching new areas in the game. These obstacles are ‘collaborationblocks’, which means that the player needs to receive help from friendsin order to pass. Help from friends can be requested through a socialnetwork, and the new area will not be unlocked until three friendsaccept to help. This is a way to increase viralisation as well as playerengagement. By helping each other players get a sense of collaboration,as well as it being a competitive element to remind the player how farfriends have come.

It is possible to circumvent the need of having friends to help passinto the next area by instead paying for it. The amount that has to bepaid can be reduced by having some friends help, even if the requiredamount of help for passing without paying is not reached. For example,if one friends help the player has to pay more than if no friends help,if two friends help a lesser amount has to be paid than if one friendshelp, and if three friends help the player does not need to pay at all.

When reaching a collaboration block, which is at the end of each episodein the game except for the first two, the player is prompted to selectwhich friends to send requests to. The friends need to have Candy CrushSaga installed in order to be able to provide help, but it is possibleto send requests to friends who do not yet

To travel from one stage to another once all the levels have beencompleted on that stage requires the help of three friends. Thesefriends can already be playing the game and do not have to be ‘new’players. However, instant access can also be bought using a virtualcurrency. Friends can be asked for help either by clicking the ‘Askfriends for help’ button, or by the ‘+’ sign to the right of thebuttons. Once the stage has been unlocked with the help of the threefriends, all the levels within that stage are unlocked too.

The user can choose to request help from only selected friends or tosend a request to multiple friends. There can be a limit to how manyfriends the player can send the request to and also a limit in timebefore the user can send a reminder or similar request.

The request for help is sent to the friend who then has the option toaccept to help or to decline to help. The request can in oneimplementation be sent using the social network to which the game isconnected; an alternative implementation is to send the request tosomeone external to the game (via email, text message, instant messagefor instance) who has to join the game to respond to the help request.This is one of the viralisation techniques implemented in this game.

Mystery Quests

The inventions may be implemented with ways of getting past acollaboration block other than asking friends for help and paying forit, which are the most common ways of passing a collaboration block.This can be done through to use of ‘Mystery Quests’, which gives theplayer the option of completing one or several challenges to unlock theblock. Such challenge can for instance be to play one or several pastlevels with modified goals in order to pass the collaboration block, forinstance three levels—one for each of the locks.

These challenges are typically in the form of replaying a previouslycompleted level but with a new goal to reach, for instance a target highscore. In a typical implementation, the score requirement is higher thanit is for playing the level regularly, and also no other goals need tobe fulfilled. For example, if the player gets to replay a level withjelly with a new target high score, the player would not need to removethe amount of jellies specified as long as the target score was reached.

In a typical implementation this option to pass a collaboration block inthe game is available in three cases; if the player is not connected tothe Internet, if the player has not connected the game to a socialnetwork, or if the player is not connected to either a social network orto the Internet. If the player is not connected to either a socialnetwork or the Internet then the other options available for passing theblock, such as sending requests to friends, cannot be used. However, itis possible to have this option available to users connected to both asocial network and to the Internet as well.

It is possible to combine the ways of passing a collaboration block. Forinstance, completing one Mystery Quest could make it so that the playeronly has to request help from two friends once a connection to a socialnetwork has been established, or that the player does not need to pay asmuch for purchasing a way through the collaboration block.

In some implementations, Mystery Quests are not tied to specificcollaboration blocks. For example, if the player reaches a collaborationblock and completes a Mystery Quest, then connects to a social networkand receives help from three friends, the player will only have tocomplete two Mystery Quests the next time that option is chosen to passa collaboration block. If the player then only completes one moremission, and then goes on to receive help from friends or purchase a waythrough, the third time a Mystery Quest is chosen as a way to pass acollaboration block, the player only needs to complete one level.

If the player chooses to play the mystery quest to pass thecollaboration block, the player will be taken to a screen showing threesymbols representing challenges to be completed, as well asspecifications regarding which level is to be played and what score isrequired to pass the first challenge. In a typical implementation, thegame randomly chooses a previously completed level and increases thescore required to pass it. In other implementations, the Mystery Questlevels can be new levels that the player has not completed before.

If the player chooses to continue with the quest, another screen ispresented, allowing the player to choose boosters. This screen is verysimilar to a regular pre-level screen, with the difference that insteadof the level number it says ‘Mystery Quest’, instead of three stars itshows a special padlock indicating that it is a Mystery Quest, and aspecial symbol in front of the target score to further indicate that itis a Mystery Quest and not a regular level.

If the player chooses to play the Mystery Quest level, the game proceedsto the game board screen and the player can start playing. If the playerfails to achieve the target score, a pop-up shows why the player failed.In some implementations using levels previously completed as MysteryQuests, the regular goals for completing the level are listed as areason for failure as well as failing the target score. However, eventhough this is shown as a reason for failing the level, the player willin a typical implementation complete the Mystery Quest as long as thetarget score is achieved, even if the other goals of the level are not.In other implementations, the player can be required to achieve both thetarget score and other goals for the Mystery Quest to be completed.

However, if the player manages to achieve the target score on a MysteryQuest, the level will be completed. Completing a Mystery Quest levelwill take the player to a post-level screen similar to a regularpost-level screen but with the same differences as the pre-level screen.After this there will typically be an animation to signal that theplayer has completed the level, such as the padlock going from beinglocked to being unlocked. There can be other ways to show a post-levelscreen after the animation of unlocking the padlock has been shown.

After completing a Mystery Quest and pressing ‘Done’ on the post-levelscreen, the player is typically taken back to the main Mystery Questscreen. This screen will then show the player the overall progress withthe Mystery Quest, which in a typical implementation consists of threelevels.

In some implementations, the player needs to wait 24 hours betweencompleting each of the three levels of the Mystery Quest. In otherimplementations, the wait time could be less or none at all. It is alsopossible to use other criteria for accessing the next Mystery Quest,such as getting more stars on previously completed levels.

Typically the player will use a life for each failed attempt of clearinga Mystery Quest level, just as is the case with regular level. It isalso possible that the Mystery Quest levels do not affect the player'slife total, or that it uses up another kind of resource as such asboosters.

It is possible for Mystery Quests to be used for other reasons than topass a collaboration block. For instance, there can be bonus levelswithin the game that can only be accessed through completing MysteryQuests. In some implementations, Mystery Quests can be a way for playersto earn boosters in the game without having to purchase them. It is alsopossible that Mystery Quests are only available at certain times, suchas between 9 PM and 10 PM each day or on specific days.

Alternative Ways to Connect with Other Players for Help or OtherRequests

For players who are not connected to friends through a social network,or players who are connected but only have very small social networks,an alternative way is to connect them to other players (if they want)and find proxies for the social experiences that existing networksprovide.

It is important to allow players who otherwise would be stuck at acollaboration block or other social interaction tools to also be able toprogress in the game. This is important to minimize the churn and toallow the game to be a fun experience for a larger portion of theplayers.

One such implementation is to drive installs of the game using newchannels—SMS, E-Mail, Twitter etc. This will boost DAU, createengagement by creating social connections and communication channelswith those connections. It may also increase revenue by keeping playersin the game.

Overall Structure

This alternative approach may be used for interaction for instance whena player reaches a collaboration block or runs out of lives. The gameprompts player to “ask for help” from other players based on some userderived player characteristics such as location, player game experience.The player gets a prompt to get help with a generated but editable aliasand they “send” the message. If the player's Push Notification (PN)settings are set to off include the requirement to turn PN on. Theclient registers the player request user ID with the server. Servergenerates a response granting the user request, on a random basis, from5 to 55 minutes from request. And sends a PN to player. After the playerhas completed a single loop—request-PN-request grant. They becomecapable of receiving help requests when they launch the game.

Feature Description

When a standalone player (a player with no or only a few ‘friends’connected to the game or to a social network) reaches a blocker in thegame, this alternative approach gives them a way to extend their gameplay by asking for help. Players will be able to select where they askfor help from, through SMS, Email, Twitter etc.

Upon Completion of the loop, they will receive the requested helpallowing them to continue in the game.

This approach can be used for collaboration blocks, that the player canrequest lives, request other help in the game. It can also beimplemented so that the player can send invitations to the game and ifthe recipient will join the game then the inviting player may get areward.

The player that receives the request for help can click on the link onfor instance his mobile device or computer.

The recipient will be taken to the link destination where the clientdevice is detected and it is identified whether the player has alreadyinstalled the game on the device. This can for instance be done using aso called URI scheme as described below. If the recipient does not havethe game already installed he is taken to the appropriate webpage orapplication store to download or activate the game. This can forinstance be the Apple or android app stores or to the Facebook app page.There are different options available to implement this functionalityand the identification of the device can be done on the specific deviceor on the server.

The player that has sent a help request will be notified when he hasreceived the requested help.

Further Explanation

When a player has run out of lives or is stuck at a collaboration blockhe or she can send a request for help via SMS. The SMS consists of ashort message describing what help is wanted and a link. The message andlink can be sent to one or more receivers. The link contains info on whosent the request, what the request was for and a timestamp. When thereceiver clicks the link the required help is sent. Link usage is kepttrack of in the database so a link cannot be reused by the same user. Ifthe player does not get help within a certain time span he or she getshelp from themselves (looks like someone helped them). This is only toreward the behaviour of asking for things and its use is limited.

The link payload consists of:

5 bytes user ID

1 byte transport medium and request type

2 bytes arguments (timestamp for life requests, episode and level indexfor collaboration blocks)

The data is then encoded in Base64, / is replaced by _ and = is replacedby empty string. The link is a normal http link. Nothing is storedserver side until the receiver clicks the link.

Push notifications are used to close the loop and are also limited per24 h period. In some implementations they are not needed for the help toget sent.

7.1 Notifications

Players can choose to be notified of certain events in a game. Thenotifications may be both ‘pushed’ as well as only available once aplayer logs into the game. Notifications can be sent on both stationarycomputers and mobile devices, depending on the player's platform ofchoice. It is also possible to have notifications that stretch acrossmultiple platforms, for instance they can pop up on both Facebook and ona mobile device at the same time.

‘Push technology’ and subsequently ‘push notifications’ describescommunications in which transaction requests are initiated by apublisher or central server, as opposed to ‘pull technology’ in whichthe receiver or client initiates a transaction requests. Typically theplayer can configure in which way push notifications should be receivedfrom a range of available options, such as:

Banners—Notifications are shown at the top of the screen andautomatically disappear after a set period of time, typically a fewseconds, unless the player interacts with them. Banner notifications canstate information regarding the notification, or it can simply statewhich game the notification is coming from. It is in a typicalimplementation possible to interact with banner notifications, forinstance by clicking on them. Typically clicking on a bannernotification will bring the player into the game.

Alerts—Notifications require interaction from a player beforedisappearing, typically they appear in the middle of the screen.

No notifications—The player can also choose to turn of notificationsaltogether.

In a typical implementation the player can choose which events to benotified about. In some implementations, the player can be choose to benotified when a new Mystery Quest is available, or when the player hasfull lives. In other implementations, the player can choose to benotified regarding a variety of different events, such as the following:

-   -   When a friend passes them in the level progression.    -   When their score is beaten on a specific level or on any level.    -   When new levels have been added to the game.    -   When help has been received.    -   When help has been requested.    -   When a new friend, either from a social network or from a game        platform, starts playing the game.    -   When they have not played for a certain period of time.    -   When the game has been updated.    -   When new games from the same developer have been added to the        application store.    -   When there are special offers in the in-game shop.

In a typical implementation, the player can choose to interact withnotifications in various ways, for example:

-   -   Silence the notification temporarily but keep it available.    -   Dismiss the notification entirely so that it is removed and        cannot be seen again.    -   Go directly to the game and start playing. This can in some        implementations be done by automatically starting a specific        level, for instance in the case a friend has beaten the player's        score on a level or if the player has been passed.    -   Directly respond to the notification, for instance if a friend        has requested help, the player can respond directly by one click        that allows them to send help without actually going through the        game interface.

In some implementations where notifications are pushed, the player willonly get the first notifications pushed, subsequent ones will not beseen until the player chooses to acknowledge the first one. This isbecause players should not feel irritated or overwhelmed bynotifications.

Notifications can also be implemented so that they synchronise acrossplatforms. For instance, if a player has been notified about anoccurrence it can be sent to both a mobile device and the Facebookplatform, but after acknowledging the notification on one platform italso disappears from other platforms. Notifications can be sent invarious ways, for instance:

-   -   Email message    -   Message sent through a social network to which the game is        connected    -   Through a message sent on the game platform    -   Through a text message, for instance sent to a mobile device    -   Phone call        Stars Next to Level Nodes

In order to give players a better overview of their progress and overallperformance in the game, Candy Crush Saga shows the amount of starsachieved on a level adjacent to the level node. When hovering over alevel node, the stars are instead displayed adjacent to the thumbnail.

Social Aspect

Connection to a Social Network

Games created using the invention described herein can be connected toor linked with a social network such as Facebook™ or Google+™ or a gamesplatform with different players who can interact and see each other'sprogress. It is common that the users on such networks have avatars withfor instance a photo of the user and/or the user's name. Such avatarscan for instance also be a sign or a figure.

The social network can be located on a server that is different from theserver on which the game is located, the game and the social network canalso be located on the same server. In some implementations there is adirect live connection between the social network and the game platformthat continuously synchronise them, in other implementations the twoplatforms synchronise at certain intervals, such as when the player logsinto the game. The players progress when having played in offline mode(for instance completed levels and score), for instance if the player istravelling in a tunnel, can be synchronized when the player is connectedto the internet.

The user and his friends' avatars can be displayed in the game or inrelation to different levels in the game to show the player's progress.The avatars can also be shown in relation to indicators of the player'sskill level or high score. In some implementations the avatars can bederived from a social network to which the game is connected, in otherimplementations they can be derived from a database related to the game.It is possible for the avatars related to users to change depending onthe overall progress or performance in the game. For instance, an avatarcan become larger or more visually advanced as the player plays the gamefor a longer time.

The user can connect with other users of the social network, either as“friends” on the social network or as “friends” within the gameenvironment. The player can interact with other players he is connectedto on the social network or who are playing the same game.

The game can be implemented to synchronize game state information and/orretrieve and connect to the social graph information and user profile ofthe player on a social network. It can also be connected to aproprietary network related to the game or the game developer.

The game can also be implemented so that it is connected to a pluralityof social networks. The user can be given the option to select whatinformation that can be derived and shared with which social network.

One example of how the game can be connected to a social network is theFacebook™'s Open Graph API allows websites and applications to draw andshare information about more objects than simply people, includingphotos, events, and pages, and their relationships between each other.This expands the social graph concept to more than just relationshipsbetween individuals and instead applies it to virtual non-human objectsbetween individuals, as well. A game can typically share in-game eventssuch as that a level has been completed, that a player has passed afriend in the game or beaten a friend's high score on a level. The gamecan also post events, such as that a player has purchased objects in thegame or received objects from other players of the game.

High Score List

When showing the pre-level screen, players are presented with thehighscores of friends. This gives an opportunity to know beforehand whatto aim for, and is something that increases the competitive element inthe game. The information about friends' scores is derived from a socialnetwork connected to which the game is connected. It is important forfurther increasing the engagement and of players and to some extentviralisation, since players are constantly being reminded about theperformance of others, which can incentivise players to try harder.

In some implementations, each area in the game can have a ‘Candy King’,meaning the player within a network of players that has the bestperformance on the levels in that area.

Friends' and Player's Progress Showing on Virtual Path

Another feature in the game that increases the competitive element isthat friends' progress on the virtual map is shown. Even if the playerhas not unlocked or reached the areas in which friends are playing,their progress can still be shown by means of a picture associated withthe player being displayed next to the level they are currently at.

It is also possible to invite new players to play the game. These can beinvited through the game platform or through a social network to whichthe game is connected. In some implementations, the game suggests whichplayers to invite. This suggestion can for instance be based on if theplayers have played other games from the same developer, if they areactive on a social network or if they seem to like other games in thesame genre. It is also possible for the suggestions to be based fromdata related to a social network, such as how often they interact withother players or how often they log in to the social network.

One aspect that increases the competitive element of the game is thatmessages can be sent to friends, for instance related to beating theirscores or passing them in terms of overall level progression. In someimplementations, the game prompts the player to send a message to signalthat a friend has been beaten. This message can be edited by the player,or it can be a pre-defined version suggested by the game.

The messages can be generated on a server hosting the game or on aserver hosting a social network to which the game is connected.Information used in the message can for instance be derived from one ofthe databases to which the game is connected or from databases relatedto networks to which the game is connected.

Sending Gifts

One aspect of Candy Crush Saga that increases the viralisation andengagement of players is the ability to send gifts to other players,which help them in the game. It is possible to give certain gifts forfree, such as one extra life. The option to send free lives is availablefor instance through the pre-level screen and the post-level screen.When starting the game, the player is presented with a list of friendsto send lives to.

After this screen, the player is presented with new messages. Gifts sentfrom other players are displayed under messages, and certain free giftssuch as lives can easily be reciprocated.

In some implementations the game prompts players to send lives to otherplayers that have run out of lives. When a player completes a levelafter receiving help from a friend, a ‘thank you’-message can be sent tothat friend, either automatically or manually. This message can containan item of value. In some implementations the player helping anotherplayer can get other benefits, such as special symbols or marks beingdisplayed next to their names. Recognition is another benefit that canbe awarded to players who help others.

In the mobile version of the game, the player is presented with messageswhen logging in. Messages that are presented can be related to theplayer receiving lives and friends requesting lives. After receiving alife from a friend, the player is asked to send a life back. If choosingto send a life back in response, the friend who originally sent it willnot get a request to send back yet another life. So, this chain ofevents has two steps if a player starts out by sending a life withoutrequest; step 1 is sending a life and step 2 is the recipient sending alife back in response. If a player starts with requesting a life, thechain of events has three steps; step 1 is requesting a life, step 2 isreceiving a life, step 3 is sending a life back in response.

It is also possible to buy gifts in the Yeti shop and send these tofriends. Such gifts are in the form of boosters that can be used eitherduring a level or before a level.

Sending extra moves to a player that is stuck on a level for a certainnumber of days/failed attempts.

Another way of helping friends is to send extra moves. This is notsomething that is possible to do to all players at all times, butinstead certain criteria must be fulfilled. The criteria are related tohow long a player has been stuck on the same level. When selecting theicon ‘Play with Friends’, a list of friends is presented. Some of thesefriends will have been stuck on a level for an extended period of time,and the player then has an option to help these players by sending threeextra moves, free of charge. These moves are different from the boostergiving five extra moves, not only because the amount of extra moves islower, but also because the booster is only usable and available on aspecific level. This is a way of facilitating the harder levels of thegame by receiving help from friends.

The game can also prompt the player to send extra moves to friends thathave been stuck on the same level for an extended period of time. Insome implementations, this period of time is two days. In otherimplementations, the criteria for a player being stuck is related to theamount of times they have tried and failed a level. The prompting is forinstance done when a player logs onto the game. This increasesengagement by helping players when the game is particularly difficult,and also adds a sense of collaboration and community among players. Whena player has received extra moves this is indicated by a ribbonenveloping the node of the level in which the moves can be used.

In some implementations, the player can receive help from multiplefriends. Help from multiple friends can be used at the same time orsubsequently. When a player completes a level after receiving help froma friend, a ‘thank you’-message can be sent to that friend. This messagecan have different implementations, such as the ones described in thepassage above about a thank-you message related to sending lives.

Candy Crush Saga has a storyline that runs through the game. The maincharacter is a little girl that goes around helping and defeatingvarious creatures. At the start of the game, as well as at the start ofevery new episode, there are animated sequences. These sequences tellthe story of how the girl goes around the world of Candy Crush Saga andhow she overcomes obstacles that are presented to her.

In some implementations, an area will start off as being slightly dirtywith a sad atmosphere, to become colourful and full of love and warmthas the player progresses through the levels. Areas become even morehappy and colourful as the player earns more stars, even on previouslycompleted levels.

Invite Friends

The player may in some implementations select subgroups of all availablefriends or filter the friends to only show the friends that also areplaying the game.

The friend selection may appear when the player is to send requests toother player or ask for help. Exemplary implementations may include:

-   -   Send moves pop-up    -   Send lives pop-up    -   Invite friends pop-up    -   Other pop-ups which prompts the player to select friends

By way of example one implementation where the player can select tofilter the friends may be based on a certain criteria such as the levelof interaction the friends have had in the past or the skill level orprogress in the games. These different criteria are illustrated with apre-filtering in three tabs in a pop-up window in the game. This popupwindow can be automatically initiated by the game, or requested by theplayer through for instance pressing a button in the game.

The list of friends may be populated from friends of the player that arealso active in the game or only from friends on a social network. In oneimplementation the default mode is that no friends have been selected.Clicking on a friend's picture or name will select that friend and atick mar may appear to indicate that it has been selected.

Listed friends may be prioritised in the way they are shown in the listto the player. One such criteria in which the order of the listedfriends show may be if they have paid for something in the game. Withinthat group players may be higher ranked if they have spent more money orif they have spent more money within a specific time period. Anothercriteria may be that the listed friends have been active in the gamewithin a certain time period or with a certain activity level. Anothercriteria may be that the listed friends are ranked based on how manytotal game invites they have received to date, highest first.

If the user has no friends playing the game, this tab may be renamed‘Friends playing other games’ and the same prioritisation may be appliedto these game network players.

If the user has no friends at all playing games according to thefiltering criteria then the tab may not appear.

The friends listed in the different tabs may be prioritised further. Thefollowing refers to the tabs ‘all friends’ and ‘remind friends’ but theperson skilled in the art will understand that this may in someimplementations also be applied to other filtered groups.

Friends are prioritised in the following way:

1. Paying players within the game company's network, in order of CLV(customer life-time value) (highest CLV first), then in order of theinvites received to date for the current game (highest first)

2. Non-paying players within the game company's network, in order of CLV(if CLV is >$x; highest CLV first), then in order of invites received todate in the current game (highest first)

3. Non-users of the game company's network (in order of invites receivedto date in the current game, highest first)

Ideally, this list should be easy to reorganise. E.g. in month 1 thefocus might be on virality, so we would prioritise the game network'splayers known to be viral, but in month 2 we might want to focus onmonetisation, so we would want to prioritise the game network's playerswho spend a lot.

Prompting invitees may be stopped at some point so that they are notbeing spammed. For instance, invitees who have received >10 invitesshould no longer appear in the list.

Customising Friend Selection Pop-Ups

Friend selector pop-ups may be customized according to two factors: (1)the user who sees them, and (2) the current priorities of the gameenvironment where it has been implemented.

For example: the game team wants to push monetization, so in the ‘Sendmoves’ pop-up the user's friends are arranged according to their spend,and so only friends with the highest spend appear in the pop-up.

The standard implementation for showing popups is to show all friends.Reasons for customizing the popups can be several:

-   -   Increase spend (e.g. prioritise friends with high spend/CLV)    -   Increase retention (e.g. prioritise inactive friends)    -   Increase requests sent (e.g. prioritise viral friends)    -   Increase CTR on notifications by improving targeting (e.g. by        increasing relevance to recipient)

All these give the game developer an additional tool to optimiseperformance of a game.

What information can be used for a typical implementation?

The players may be ranked according to a set of measures. For example:

-   -   Spend (for example how much has this player spent on in-game        items over a period of time)    -   Virality (for instance how active is this player responding to        notifications, help requests and other in-game viral effects)    -   Activity (for instance how active this player is playing the        game; when did the player last play or how many levels have the        player played)

These may also be combined—e.g. if the game team wants to reactivelapsed spenders, they might want the send moves pop-up to display eachuser's friends in order of spend, but to display only users who havebeen inactive for 10+ days.

Examples of Implementation in a System

There are many possible approaches. Customisation could be approached ona game-specific basis, using only information relating to a single game(e.g. the game could customise pop-ups using only the game's data): Thisinformation is stored in the game's own database. But customisation maybe much more powerful if it used data from across the games companynetwork, using data from all games. That information is typically storedin a database.

Customisation on a game-specific basis—the server creates the userrankings based their past behaviour in the game, and that determineswhich users the server sends to the client. The client would simplydisplay the users selected.

Customisation on a game company network basis—we create user rankingsbased on information taken from a database, covering all their activitywithin the game company network. The rankings would be stored in asystem, would be updated at least on a daily basis, and would beavailable to all games using that framework. An individual game'sservers would pull the rankings out of the system, and determine whichusers to send to the client. The client would simply display the usersselected.

Music, Sounds and Effects

Candy Crush Saga has both music and other audio effects that areimportant for the overall feel of the game. All sounds and music havethe same warm feeling to them as the colours and animations.

Sounds and Effects

Audio effects are always played as soon as something is happening in thegame whether it is due to an input from the player or if it's some kindof automated event. For example, an automated event could be when theuser starts the game and a pop up appear suggesting that the playershould send gifts to friends. When this pop up appear there is adiscrete swishing sound to make the player aware that somethinghappened. Another automated event could be before starting a level and amessage screen shows up saying what needs to be done to pass the levelbefore it automatically disappears again.

For all objects that can be interacted with in the game, there is alwayseither a visual notification, a sound, or both, to let the player knowthat something in the interface can be interacted with. For example, inone implementation there is a shop icon that highlights, starts swingingand lets off a short sound when the mouse is hovered over it.

The sounds played to give indication of interactable objects are alwaysnon-disturbing sounds that the player does not even think about arethere unless someone points it out to him.

Sounds and effects are not only there to indicate when an interaction ispossible. They are also present when something is being or has beeninteracted with, for example a click on a button would make a certainsound and sometimes change the appearance on some of the buttonsavailable. In one implementation a play button looks like a wrappedcandy and when pressed the wrapper on the button becomes wrinkled.

Clicking on a candy when playing a level would also give a visualnotification. In one implementation the candy would be highlighted andso the player will know what candy has been chosen. In anotherimplementation a frame would appear around the chosen candy.

When making different kinds of switches there are also different kindsof sounds and animations connected to these. There is one sound if theplayer tries to make an invalid move, another sound for a match ofthree, yet another sound for a match of four and so on. When candies areremoved there is a small animation of stars in the emptied space. Thisadds to the visual feeling of the game.

The game encourages players to make good moves, and the sounds made whengenerating special candies are triumphant-sounding and can give playersa feeling of satisfaction.

Triggering special candies also have their unique sounds and visualeffects. Animations with lines and stars are shown to emphasize how goodit is to use these in the game and how much it helps the player.

If getting a cascade of matches falling one after the other then thereis yet another sound together with a message shown on the screen sayingeither ‘Delicious’, ‘Divine’, ‘Sweet’ and ‘Tasty’ depending on how manymatches were made with only one move. Together with these visualmessages there is a voice saying them out loud in order to complimentand motivate the player and as a result adding more feeling to the game.The same thing happens when completing a level, there is a voice and amessage saying ‘Sugar crush!’ in order to make the player feel like agood player.

Background Music

Music is constantly played while displaying the virtual landscape aswell as when showing the game board. There can in some implementationsbe different music playing in a level compared to when viewing thevirtual landscape.

Candy Crush Saga has implemented a background music that creates a stateof mind of the player that is desirable to optimize engagement, viralityand monetization.

The music is a waltz.

-   -   dance music—human body is naturally inclined to ‘dance’ along        (even if just subconsciously)    -   strong beat falls approx. every second, feels in time with        heartbeat, adds to sense of internalising the music    -   the whole thing works on a subconscious level to keep the player        involved in the game—mentally/subconsciously the player        sings/dances along    -   first few levels: whistle    -   addition of ‘human’ sound is clever—adds a level of reality to        an otherwise surreal/virtual game    -   functions as question and answer (whistle provides the        answer/response to the opening instrumental question)    -   leads the player to subconsciously ‘fill in’ the answer along        with the whistle    -   all this, again, increases the level of absorption in the gaming        experience

The in-Between Level Music (i.e. on the ‘this is Your Score’ Pages)

Weird and jarring descending passages in an unusual mode—creates aslightly unpleasant and jittery feeling after the contrastinghappy/swinging/jolly music of the game play-->subconsciously makes theplayer speed up and get onto the next gameplay screen where ‘normal’tonality and harmony resume!

The Speed of the Music in Gameplay Mode—

-   -   a waltz has three beats in a bar (ONE two three|ONE two        three|ONE two three, etc.)    -   although strong beat of the waltz falls every second, giving        impression of gentle calm pace, the actual beats (one, two and        three) are quite fast (i.e. three to a second)—this speed in the        music creates a pressure on the player.    -   so the player is really absorbed in game and music, and is        unwittingly spurred to play quickly (increasing the pressure,        feeling of challenge, thrill, excitement, whatever you want to        call it) because of this constant push from the music's tempo.        Still there is a calm feeling.    -   The music experience is subtle, sly and effective! See for        instance the method and system described in U.S. application        Ser. No. 13/479,107 filed on 23 May 2012 and incorporated in        this document.

The system and method described herein can be implemented together witha game, in which players can see their own and also their social networkfriends' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtual world)and in which game state information is fully synchronised acrossdifferent platforms, such as iOS, desktop and Android via Facebook orother online social network, so that a player can seamlessly stop andre-start playing the game on any of those different platforms.

Different Devices

Some implementations of the game allows for the game to be synchronisedbetween different devices or platforms.

The game can for instance be played in an offline mode on a handhelddevice using locally stored information on the handheld device. Thedevice can store all or some of the levels that are available for theplayer to play in the game. Some of the features in the game can belocally run on the device and dependent on the local machine. This canfor instance be that if the game is implemented to regenerate livesafter a certain period of time, then the time can be locally decidedbased on the clock on the device. In some implementations, the centralgame server clock can override the local clock when the local device hasbeen synchronised with the server.

A game can be implemented so that the player knows if it hassynchronised the available data with the central server or servers. Thiscan for instance be through a coloured symbol or a check mark thatindicates that the information is up to date.

The game can also indicate if it has been able to establish a connectionwith the central server for synchronisation or if for instance thenetwork connection is down. That the device is offline can for instancebe illustrated with a greyed out icon.

Different Platforms (FB/Google+)

The game can be implemented to synchronize game state information and/orretrieve and connect to the social graph information and user profile ofthe player on a social network such as Facebook or Google+.

The game can also be implemented so that it is connected to a pluralityof social networks. The user can be given the option to select whatinformation that can be derived and shared with which social network.

One example of how the game can be connected to a social network is theFacebook™'s Open Graph API allows websites and applications to draw andshare information about more objects than simply people, includingphotos, events, and pages, and their relationships between each other.This expands the social graph concept to more than just relationshipsbetween individuals and instead applies it to virtual non-human objectsbetween individuals, as well. A game can typically share in-game eventssuch as that a level has been completed, that a player has passed afriend in the game or beaten a friend's high score on a level. The gamecan also post event such as that a player has purchased objects in thegame or received objects from other players of the game.

Features that May be Implemented Using the Inventions Described Herein

Having Various Elements to Combine in the Game.

There are six different game elements (candies). They can be combined inseries of 3, 4 or 5 in a line, either row or a column, in a 2×2 square,or in combinations in the shape of a T- or L-form.

Having Game Elements with a Certain Size

The game elements have certain sizes, all similar but not identical,making it possible to have a specific maximum number of rows and columnswith candies.

Having a Transparent Area for the Game Board.

The game board is dark, semi-transparent and placed on top of abackground picture which is tied to the story of the game.

Having a Specific Area for Each Separate Game Element.

In the game board, each element has a square space that is delimited bylight horizontal lines and darker vertical lines. The lines do not coverthe full square, but leave a gap in all the corners.

Adding Extra Obstacles and Difficulties to Complete a Level

New special game elements are introduced throughout the game to increasethe difficulty. For example a layer which has to be removed by matchinga candy covered by the layer (Jelly) or an impassable block that has tobe removed by matching candies next to it a number of times (Frosting).

Having Another Challenge for the Level.

Most levels have two separate goals, one involving certain actions(remove jelly, get fruits to the bottom) and another related to score.This makes for a more challenging game.

Rewarding the Player with Points for Matching Combinations

The player is awarded points for each combination of at least 3 candies,enabling high score comparisons with other players as well as achallenge to beat oneself.

Showing What Points the Player is Earning

The amount of points gained by a combination is shown upon completing acombination, in the same colour as the candies used in the combination.

Getting a Certain Amount of Points for Removing a Certain Amount of GameElements

The score given for different combinations is not linear, but formed ina way to encourage longer combinations and a more thought out approachof playing the game.

Give Bonus Points in the Form of Certain ‘Schemes’ to Player whenFinishing a Level Sooner than Necessary

When a player finishes with moves left, bonus points are awarded. Thesebonus points may be awarded by i) triggering any remaining specialelements on the gameboard and ii) randomly placing special game elementson the board and then triggering them.

Having an Item that Removes Three Columns or Rows

There is a booster that removes three columns by turning three candiesinto striped candies. This booster is in the form of a coconut wheel.

Different Combinations of Games Elements Return Special Game Elements

By making certain combinations of candies, special game elements will beproduced. These are formed by making combinations of 4 candies in a rowor column (striped candy) 4 candies in a 2×2 grid (fish), 5 candies in arow or column (colour bomb), L or T-shapes of 5 candies (bomb candy).

One Game Element that when Combined with the Same Colour Removes allElements in that Row or Column.

A colour bomb-candy will be produced by combining 5 candies in a row orcolumn. This item will either remove all candies of a certain colour (ifcombined with a regular candy), or it will remove all elements on thegameboard (if combined with a bomb candy) or it will transform allcandies of the same colour into striped candies that subsequentlytrigger (if combined with a striped candy).

One Game Element Removes all Elements in a Certain Radius

By combining 5 or 6 candies into a L-shape or a T-shape, a bomb candywill be produced. This removes elements in a rectangle shape with athree-candy diameter.

Receive a Special Effect when Combining Striped Game Elements with EachOther

It is possible to combine striped candies, when doing so one column andone row of candies will be removed.

Receive a Special Effect when Combining a Striped Game Element with BombCandy

It is possible to combine a striped candy with a bomb candy, when doingso three columns and three rows of candies will be removed, originatingfrom the spot where the combination was made.

Receive a Special Effect when Combining Two Bombs

It is possible to combine two bomb candies with each other. When doingso a rectangle shape with a diameter of 5 candies will be removed byeach combined bomb candy.

Visualize the Effect when Combining a Striped Element with the ElementReceived from L- and T-Shapes

When combining a striped candy with a bomb candy, a special visualanimation is triggered in the form of a giant candy moving firsthorizontally in both directions from the point of origin, thenvertically.

Have a Combination that Transforms Other Elements

When combining a colour bomb with a striped candy, all other candies ofthat colour will also be transformed into striped game elements thatautomatically trigger.

Having and Showing a Map of the Game

The player progresses through the levels of the game, which is visuallyrepresented on a map. This gives the player a more tangible way ofseeing progress than if levels were just represented by a number.

Having an Indicator Showing which Level the Player has Reached

The highest level reached by a player is indicated by the correspondingnode being highlighted orange. This makes it easy for the player to findthe current level and also facilitates the visualization of how far hehas progressed.

To Show that a Level or Part of the Game is not Yet Available to Play

All available levels in Candy Crush can be viewed in the map, eventhough they haven't been unlocked. However, a padlock symbol is shown torepresent that a level is yet to be unlocked and that it currentlycannot be played.

Having an Welcoming Message Displayed at the Start of the Game

At the start of Candy Crush the player is greeted by an encouragingmessage: “Your adventure starts today! Click here to play level 2!”

To have a Tutorial

Candy Crush offers a tutorial in the beginning of the game to introducethe player to new concepts. Basic concepts, possible combinations andthe different game modes are explained among other things.

Multiple Game Modes

Different game modes makes for a more diverse game. Candy Crush offersat least seven different game modes—Score, Jelly, Ingredients, Orders,Time, Jelly Bear, and Lemonade.

To have Blocks that have to be Removed Before Objects can Pass Through

There are game elements in Candy Crush that have to be removed beforeobjects can pass through the space they occupy. These are in the form offrosting blocks and require candies to be matched next to them a certainamount of times before they disappear.

Giving the Player Information about a Chosen Level and the Option to UseExtra Boosters

When selecting a level from the map-view, information about the level isdisplayed together with an array of boosters that can be purchasedand/or activated for that level. Information include previous scores offriends and specific instructions for the current level.

To Display Friends' Highscore

The previous high score of friends can be seen before playing a level,while playing a level and after a level has been played (provided thatfriends have played the level before). This increases competition andgives a sense of community at the same time.

To Give the Player the Option to Use Extra Boosters

The player can select boosters before playing a level as well as duringthe play of a level. The boosters which can be used in the twosituations differ. This facilitates and adds more depth to the game.

Share a Result with Friends

After finishing a level, the player will get feedback to how his scorerelates to that of friends playing the game. An option is given to shareresults with friends, possibly accompanied by a message saying somethingalong the lines of ‘I beat your score’.

To Show the Player how Well a Level is being Completed

The player is provided real-time feedback in relation to the scoreduring play of a level. This is done by a meter being filled, the meterhaving three different levels represented by one, two and three starsrespectively.

Have Aesthetic Icons for Showing Results of Finished Levels.

In the map-view, the player can see results of previously completedlevels in the form of how many stars were attained in those levels. Thismakes for an easy overview of the overall performance in the game.

Giving the Player a Maximum Amount of Life that is Restored Over Time

The player starts with 5 lives that are used up when failing to completea level. These lives are then replenished with one life every 30minutes.

Having an Algorithm for Reshuffling and Recognizing when there are NoPossible Moves Left

Candy Crush very quickly recognizes when there are no possible movesleft. When that occurs, the candies on the game board are re-shuffled.When re-shuffling, there will be no combinations automaticallytriggering, i.e. 3 or more candies are not placed adjacent to eachother.

A Match 3-Game with Boosters Usable Across Different Platforms

A match 3 switcher game, in which players can see their own and theirsocial network friends' game level position on a virtual path, in whichthe game is fully sync'd across different platforms, such as iOS,desktop and Android via Facebook, and, in which the gameplay for eachlevel can be enhanced through the use of an acquired item.

-   -   The acquired items can be synchronized across all of the        platforms where the game is played by the user.

A Match 3-Game with a Mode to Bring Down Objects

A match 3 switcher game, in which players can see their own and theirsocial network friends' game level position on a virtual path and, inwhich the game board contains switchable elements that can be matchedwith other switchable elements and switchable elements that cannot bematched with other switchable elements on the game board, where one ofthe goals for completing a level is to interact with the game board insuch a way that a predefined number of non-matchable switchable elementsare placed in any of a plurality of predefined areas on the game board.

A Match 3-Game with Multiple Different Objectives

A match 3 game in which the player has to satisfy a plurality ofcriteria within a limited number of moves to complete the level; thecriteria include at least one of the following:

-   -   reaching a target score    -   removing matchable game elements to clear a path for a        non-matchable game element to get to a predefined area on the        game board    -   clear a predefined number of a certain type of game items        layered on the game board having a matchable game element        together with each of the layered game items, each layered game        item can be removed by removing a matchable game element in the        same position as the layered game item.    -   Bring a game object (a bear in a bubble) to a predefined level        on the gameboard.    -   Uncover a game object (jelly bear) that occupies one or more        tiles by removing jelly blocks that overlay said game object.

FIG. 26 illustrates an alternative implementation where new candies falldown from the top of the game board and then change direction to theright before starting to fall upwards again. The arrows in FIG. 26indicate the direction of the falling candies.

FIG. 27 shows another alternative implementation of the flow of fallingcandies; the arrows indicating the direction of the candies

The invention claimed is:
 1. A computer device having: a user interfaceconfigured to display user actuatable game elements and to detect userinput when a user engages with a game element, the user interfacefurther configured to display a container game element; a processorconfigured to receive a detected user input and on detecting a matchgame condition to control the user interface to remove at least threegame elements from the display and to provide on the user interfacereplacement user actuatable game elements, wherein the manner ofproviding each replacement game element has a graphical representationgoverned by a tile associated with each game element, the processorfurther configured to select a physics for each tile based on user inputat the user interface, wherein the physics controls at least one of (i)the direction in which it moves to replenish a vacancy left by theremoved user game elements; and (ii) the speed at which it moves toreplenish the vacancy, wherein the container game element alters thephysics of a set of displayed tiles when a match game condition of sameelements having a matching colour with the container element isdetected.
 2. A computer device according to claim 1, wherein theprocessor is configured to select the physics for each tile based on thelocation on the display at which the at least three game elements areremoved.
 3. A computer device according to claim 1, comprising agraphics controller which is connected to receive information from theprocessor defining the graphical representation and to supply thegraphical representation to the user interface in the form of a videosequence based on the physics of the tile.
 4. A computer deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured todisplay each tile with a visual indication of its selected physics.
 5. Acomputer device according to claim 4, wherein the visual indication iscolour.
 6. A computer device according to claim 1, wherein the userinterface is configured to display a separator between tiles of a firstphysics and tiles of a second physics.
 7. A computer device according toclaim 6, wherein tiles of the first physics move in a direction toreplenish a vacancy downwards from an upper portion of the screen, andtiles of the second physics move in the direction to replenish a vacancyupwards from a lower portion of the screen.
 8. A computer deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the selectable physics controls adirection in any orientation in either the Cartesian or polar axes forreplenishment of tiles from an outer portion of a game board to an innerportion of a game board.
 9. A computer device according to claim 6wherein the tiles are arranged in rows and columns, the separatorextends laterally across the game board between two rows of tiles, andthe set of tiles whose physics is altered by llthell a container gameelement is a row of tiles.
 10. A computer device according to claim 1having: a user interface configured to display user actuatable gameelements and to detect user input when a user engages with a gameelement; a processor configured to receive a detected user input and ondetecting a match game condition to control the user interface to removeat least three game elements from the display and to provide on the userinterface replacement user actuatable game elements, wherein the mannerof providing each replacement game element has a graphicalrepresentation governed by a tile associated with each game element,wherein each tile has a selectable physics which controls at least oneof (i) the direction in which it moves to replenish a vacancy left bythe removed user game elements; and (ii) the speed at which it moves toreplenish the vacancy, wherein the user interface is controlled by theprocessor to sequentially apply a highlighting or shimmer effect to setsof tiles, thereby indicating physics of the tiles.
 11. A computer deviceaccording to claim 10, wherein the tiles are arranged in rows andcolumns and the highlighting or shimmer effect is sequentially appliedto adjacent rows.
 12. A computer device according to claim 11, whereinthe highlighting or shimmer effect is applied in a first direction in aset of rows above a separator and not in a set of rows below theseparator.
 13. A computer device according to claim 1, wherein thenumber of replacement game elements is the same as the number of gameelements in the match condition.
 14. A computer device according toclaim 1, wherein a game board of the game elements is generated by theprocessor, but only a portion of the game board is displayed to a user,with subsequent portions of the game board being displayed as a resultof a scrolling action displayed on the user interface.
 15. A computerimplemented method of controlling a user interface responsive to userengagement with displayed game elements on the interface, the methodcomprising the following steps implemented by a processor of a computerdevice; displaying on the user interface a game board of game elementsin rows, wherein there is a visual indication of tile physics associatedwith each tile in a row, wherein all tiles in the same row have the samephysics, wherein a separator is displayed on the user interface betweenadjacent rows of differing tile physics detecting a match game conditionof at least three game elements responsive to user input; generatingreplacement game elements to be displayed, each game element associatedwith a tile; selecting a physics for each tile; adjusting the locationof the separator on the game board responsive to user input to causecontainer elements to be actuated thereby increasing the number of tilesbelow the separator; controlling a graphical representation on the userinterface of replacing the game element based on the selected tilephysics, wherein the tile physics controls at least one of (i) thedirection in which it moves to replenish the vacancy left by the removedgame elements; and (ii) the speed at which it moves to replenish thevacancy, and wherein a game character is displayed on a tile having afirst kind of physics, wherein movement of that character over the gameboard is affected by the tile physics of the set of tiles surroundingthe game character, wherein a target row is identified on the display,and wherein a game objective is to cause the game character to move upto the target row.
 16. A method according to claim 15, wherein a portionof the game board is displayed on the user interface, the displayedportion varying as a result of a scrolling action to display differentportions of the game board on the display.
 17. A method according toclaim 16, wherein when a first portion of the game board is displayed onthe display the target row is not visible to a player, and wherein whena second portion of the game board is displayed on the display as aresult of said scrolling action, the target row comes into a view of theplayer.